Daughters of Destiny: A Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfic
by Sweet Dreamscape
Summary: A subplot based on the Egyptian God monsters, the pharaoh, and his priest; set after Battle City. When Nataki Kuzana moves to Domino City, she sets into motion an unanticipated chain of events. A darker truth about the Egyptian God monsters and the roles of Domino's two greatest duelists are unearthed, and it's bigger than anyone could have imagined.
1. A Fatal First Encounter

****A/N: ****Hello! _Before_ you begin reading this fanfic, I wanted to shed some light on necessary details regarding how it corresponds to the _canon_ Yu-Gi-Oh! series.

This fan fiction is based off the Yu-Gi-Oh! **_anime_**, not the manga.

This story begins **_after the end of the Battle City Finals_**, which would place it _**after season 3**, _and** _ends before season 4_ **(Waking the Dragons). As such, this fanfic takes place a little over a year into the series (since the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series spans 2 years).

I base the characterizations on the **_original/uncut Japanese version of the anime_**, not the 4Kids dubbing (which is humorous, of course, but limits character growth/development and makes light of otherwise deep issues). This also affects ages (canon characters are a year older at the start of this fanfiction Yugi would be 17 instead of 16, and so on).

This fan fiction has a lot to do with the Egyptian God Monsters/Cards, as well as how Yugi and Kaiba's destinies are connected to them. While the plot of this fanfic has been worked on for over two years, it is by no means a "seamless integration" into the canon series. But it comes very close, I believe, and does _not_ interrupt the original Yu-Gi-Oh! plot - it just adds a mini-plot between seasons 3 and 4.

Finally, while this story is not romance-centric, it does have a lot of budding relationships/relationship building incorporated throughout between my OC and the canon characters.

I sure do hope you enjoy it! :)

* * *

Mornings in Domino City were always rather hectic as the hustle and bustle of people commuting to school and work filled the streets. The population was decent for a city, especially because of its allure – it _was_ home to two of the most infamous Duel Monsters champions, after all. Indeed, Domino City's "stars," to say the very least, were Yugi Muto, the reigning 'King of Games' who was also the keeper of the mystical Millennium Puzzle, and Seto Kaiba, former Duel Monsters champion and current CEO of Kaiba Corporation, one of the largest, and most successful multinational gaming companies the world has ever seen (because who can argue with the fact that holographic virtual reality systems and duel disks are _awesome_?)

On top of this already _staggering_ tidbit of information, the city has become the home of the largest, most competitive Duel Monsters tournaments (run by none other than Seto Kaiba himself). It really isn't a mystery why Domino City is such a popular place to live.

Like any city, of course, Domino was breathtaking to behold, let alone __overwhelming __to newcomers. The buildings shot up into the sky, making even an average sized person feel _minuscule_ next to them. Streets seemed to converge and separate interchangeably. It's safe to say that Domino City could seem like an insurmountable place to those unfamiliar with its setup, _daunting_ even, especially to Nataki Kuzana, who had just recently moved to the there seeking a fresh, new start. Having grown up in a small town outlying the city, Domino seemed alien to her, and as she tried to make heads or tails of the directions she had been given by an older woman from her town (who claimed to have made frequent trips to this city for her grandson to buy him Duel Monsters cards), she felt lost in the sea of people that traversed the concrete jungle before her.

_If only I had made a few practice pilgrimages to the school. Then I wouldn't be running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to find it. _She thought to herself as she glanced at the directions once more, squinting her eyes slightly in an effort to read the old woman's script. _Oh Oshida-san, your penmanship is so difficult to read. I feel like I'm trying to read hieroglyphics._

Looking up from her somewhat illegible directions, Nataki began skimming the names of the streets as she passed them by, hoping to recognize a match between what she read (or what she _thought_ she read) on the piece of paper. Clinging to the somewhat wrinkled loose-leaf, she felt as if it was her only chance for survival.

_If __**only**__ the apartment complex wasn't quite so far from the high school. I thought I would have enough time, but now I'm not so sure . . ._

Suddenly, Nataki saw a group of teenagers about her age walking down the street and assumed they were likely headed in the direction she sought to go. As she approached them she noticed that the girls were wearing pink jackets with royal blue skirts, and the boys were garbed in solid blue jackets and pants. Hastily, she stepped in front of them and asked, "Excuse me, but do you attend Domino High School?"

"Yes," one of the girls replied, not looking up from her cell phone."

"We're on our way there now." Another girl spoke up while shooting Nataki a friendly smile. "Did you need help getting there? You look a bit . . . lost."

Nataki smiled sheepishly and introduced herself, after which the others in the group proceeded to do the same. Once introductions and friendly gestures were exchanged, Nataki followed the group toward the school.

"Thank you _so_ much." She said once more. "I've been trying to follow these directions, and I only seem to be getting lost."

"It's not a problem, really." The girl who had introduced herself as Rei replied while nonchalantly tying her blonde hair into a ponytail.

"Yeah, I can imagine it's tough to find your way around if you're unfamiliar with the area." The other female in the group added, who had introduced herself as Hina after looking up from her phone.

As they neared the high school Nataki let out a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness. _Suddenly, she found herself being jostled around as the group around her broke into a mad dash.

"Hey, look! It's Yugi-san!" One of the males in the group hollered jovially. And with that, the collective bunch charged ahead at an unmatched pace, leaving Nataki in the dust, so to speak. Having been caught off guard by the group's sudden shift in pace, she had been unable to keep up with them, and ultimately found herself shuffled into an oncoming crowd of commuters. By the time she managed to make her way through the crowd, the teenagers were out of sight.

"I lost them . . . " She said under her breath. Then, noticing the large sign that read for 'Domino High School' in the distance, she relaxed. "Well, at least I can _see_ the school now, so I must be headed in the right direction."

Continuing on her way, she proceeded to look down at her directions. Growing up in a small town certainly did have its limitations, namely being able to develop a sense of direction in an urban setting. All of the buildings looked the same, which made Nataki's task even _more_ challenging. One of the large bells on a nearby clock tower rang, and Nataki looked up in panic at the time, which read seven o' clock.

"Ahhh! I'm going to be late on my first day!" She internally screamed while breaking into a sprint, clutching her piece of paper with the directions in front of her. With her attention focused on making sense of the words, she didn't notice the man carrying a coffee in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Without having time to react, Nataki plowed into him, sending the scalding hot coffee splashing against both of them. She let out a shriek at the realization of what had happened, as well as the burn from the coffee.

"Oh my God, I am _so_ sorry!" She exclaimed, reaching for something in her purse to use as a wipe. "I wasn't paying attention, I'm so sorry-"

But she stopped herself mid-sentence upon realizing the casualty of her clumsiness. Dark brown stains marked the once flawlessly white suit and pants of Kaiba Corporation's CEO. The icy glare he wore on his face sent a shiver through her, and while she had never met the man _in person_, his features were _unmistakable_. Tall, daunting, intense, statuesque . . . Seto Kaiba was a man whose presence in the world was definitely well renowned, even by smaller towns who could only watch him through the television in awe (and sometimes disgust). But here he was, standing before her, coffee stained with a look that could kill. It was the coldest, most _contemptuous_ look she had ever seen in her life, and as the reality of the situation sunk in, she felt like an ant in the presence of a giant. More than anything, she just wanted to disappear. But she couldn't – she knew that, and as she continued to apologize, she realized her words would not be enough to appease him.

"_Really_ Kaiba-san, I am _so _very sorry." Nataki tried. "I would be _more_ than happy to buy you another coffee."

"That's _quite_ all right." He seethed, looking down at his clothes, and then back at her. "You've done _more _than enough."

Nataki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, which had become incredibly dry all the sudden.

"Where the _hell _are you going in such a damn hurry, anyway?" The CEO asked in a persecuting tone, causing her to flinch.

"I'm on my way to school." She replied, her voice growing weaker. "I mean, I _think_ I am. You see, I just recently moved here and . . ."

"I didn't _ask_ for your life story." Kaiba retorted abruptly." And quite frankly, I don't care to hear it."

His personality was biting, no doubt about it. And his onslaught of derogatory remarks seemed endless.

"I'm sorry." She barely managed to squeak out.

The CEO rolled his eyes, clearly wanting to be rid of her as much as _she_ wanted to flee from _him_.

"Are these your directions?" He inquired, picking the sheet of loose-leaf off the ground that she realized she must have dropped after colliding into him.

"Yes, sir."

He skimmed them over quickly before reaching into his jacket pocket, pulling out a pen with his company logo on it, and slashing a large "X" through the directions. Before she could say anything, he had begun scrawling his own onto the paper. Nataki watched as his hand moved briskly across the page, and couldn't help noticing his penmanship which, despite his hasty, almost erratic hand movements, still looked more legible than Mrs. Oshida's. It seemed almost surreal how someone whose signature carried so much weight and importance was now haphazardly writing down directions onto her wrinkled loose-leaf.

After a moment, he shoved the paper in front of her face, clicked his pen, and clipped it back into his pocket.

"Those directions someone gave you were poorly written, not to mention almost __illegible__. Frankly I'm surprised you even made it _this _far to the school."

Nataki looked away from his cobalt eyes, which still seemed to be penetrating her very being, making her feel uncomfortable. The CEO exhaled deeply and tapped the paper with his finger.

"Follow _these _directions to get to the high school." He said finally before tossing his now empty coffee cup into a nearby garbage.

"Thank you, Kaiba-san." She said faintly.

"__Don't__." He countered. "I just don't want to have a run-in with you again. I don't need another good suit _ruined_ and more of my precious time _wasted_."

And with that, Kaiba disappeared down the street, his briefcase swinging back and forth like a guillotine waiting to behead the next poor, unfortunate soul who crossed his path wrongly. Nataki shuddered, trying to recover from her first, and quite nasty experience with one of Domino's most famous individuals. Despite this, she couldn't argue that his directions were much clearer. Within a few minutes, she arrived at Domino High School.


	2. School Setup

As Nataki walked toward the main office, she internally rehearsed the introduction she had planned to deliver to her peers once she found out her room. She went over each line, determined to make a positive first impression. More than anything, Nataki was eager to make new friends. Being far away from everyone and everything she had ever known was difficult, and Domino City seemed like such an overwhelming place. The city life would be a big adjustment from the more rural, communal atmosphere she had grown up with, but Nataki reminded herself that a new place meant new opportunities, new people, and a new memories just waiting to be made. Miles away from home, she reasoned that she wouldn't feel as lonely if she could bask in the company of new companions, and she hoped Domino City would someday become a place she could rightfully call 'home.'

Absentmindedly fingering the revised directions in her pocket, she entered the main office so she could sign in, receive a school uniform, and find out what classroom she would be in. As she approached the front desk, she saw a stocky woman with brown-rimmed glasses typing on a computer. Her lips pursed into a half-smile upon noticing Nataki, and she gestured her over.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Hello there." She began pleasantly. "My name is Kuzana, Nataki. I just recently moved here and-"

"Did you fill out the paperwork?"

"What?" Nataki blinked. "Oh, yes. I filled that out and mailed it about two weeks ago."

The secretary nodded and returned her attention to the computer. Her eyes seemed to be scanning the screen.

"Yes, I see you in our system. You received a passing score on the entrance exam, and your academic transcript shows that you've completed up through eighth grade in previous academic institutions you've attended." Quickly, the woman grasped a piece of scrap paper from the recycling bin and a pencil from the mug on her desk. Nataki noticed the watercolor painted beach scenery and the caption that read 'Life's a beach' on it, and smiled faintly at the idiom.

"You're in class 1-A with Bosakara, Kyuren. Was your uniform mailed to you?"

Nataki bit her bottom lip. "No, I thought I was supposed to pick it up here."

"That's fine." The secretary nodded. "You can pick one up in 10-B. It's the beginning of the school year, so there should still be quite a few extras left over."

"Thank you very much!" Nataki replied with a bow as she left the office.

* * *

Navigating the hallways was difficult, but not because of the layout of the school per say. No, it was the traffic of students congregating and 'shooting the breeze' while finishing their cups of morning coffee and breakfasts. As she made her way through the sea of people who would soon become familiar faces, Nataki attempted to say hello. Her efforts were met with some pleasant, friendly smiles and occasional raised eyebrows of curiosity. Eventually, she found herself at room 10-B, which she realized was the Student Services room. She knocked before entering, and smiled upon seeing a male student who looked to be about her age sitting behind a desk. He stood up from his seat and outstretched his hand.

"Good morning. I'm Colevara, Daisuke, head of Student Services." He introduced himself.

"Good morning, Colevara-san. I'm Kuzana, Nataki." She said while shaking his hand congenially.

"Well Kuzana-san, what can I help you with this morning?" He asked.

After explaining her situation, Daisuke nodded and disappeared into a backroom, only to return with a few boxes labeled 'School Uniforms.' "What size are you?" he asked while setting the boxes down on the counter.

"Medium." She replied.

In an instant, Daisuke had reached into one of the boxes and retrieved a uniform – pressed and folded neatly, sealed inside a plastic bag. As soon as she saw it, Nataki couldn't hold back her enthusiasm over the bright pink and navy blue coloring. The colors of her previous school uniforms had been much more subtle – mostly Earth tones like browns and greens. Her face beamed as she looked it over more closely, loving how the bright pink jacket popped in contrast to the navy blue pleated skirt.

"Thank you so much, Colevara-san!" She exclaimed with a bow.

"Of course." He acknowledged while returning the boxes. "If you need help with anything, feel free to stop by. I'll be here."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

Once she left the Student Services room, Nataki looked for a bathroom so that she could change into her new uniform. After finding a stall and locking herself in, she hung her schoolbag on a hook and began to undress. She slipped off her ruffled lilac floral pattern skirt and black blouse in exchange for her uniform. Then, she kicked off her boots and slid the school socks and shoes onto her feet. Once fully changed, she couldn't wait to look at herself in the mirror. Before doing so, however, she reached into her school bag and pulled out a pink ribbon that was almost the same vibrant pink.

_I'm __**so**__ glad I bring extra ribbons with me. _She thought happily as she undid her pigtails only to retie them with the bright pink ribbons.

Fully outfitted, Nataki from the stall, her previous outfit stuffed inside her school bag. Eyeing herself in the mirror, she became ecstatic as she saw herself in the official Domino High School uniform. The excitement had made almost giddy, and she couldn't help striking one of the cute poses she had seen girls make on late night infomercials.

"It's adorable, I just love it!" She exclaimed.

"_Seriously_?"

Nataki, slightly embarrassed and startled, turned abruptly to see another girl coming up to the sink beside her. The girl eyed her with a skeptical look and then shook her head.

"The jacket is a tacky pink, and it doesn't even match the blue skirt that well."

"Oh, I don't know." Nataki replied, turning around and looking the mirror as she did so. "I think it's rather cute."

Scoffing at the remark, the girl finished washing her hands and walked out.

Completely alone for a minute, Nataki stared at herself in the mirror and exhaled deeply. "Well, it's show time."

* * *

After what seemed like ages, she was able to reach her classroom. Pulling the door open, Nataki looked around at the group of tenth graders in room 1-A who would be her classmates for the remainder of her time at the high school (since classes maintained the same letter as the progress from tenth to eleventh, and eleventh to twelfth). As she took a few steps inside, she searched for a vacant seat.

Scanning the classroom for one, she finally found a empty desk located in front of a girl with short, almost fiery auburn hair. When Nataki's eyes met hers, the girl sort of raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Um, is this seat taken?" Nataki inquired softly.

"Depends." The girl stated flatly. "Are you annoying?"

Nataki blinked. _What kind of question is __**that**__?_ "I don't think so?" She finally replied, but it came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

The girl stared at Nataki for a moment as if considering whether or not to believe her. After blowing a bubble with her gum and popping it, she sighed and smacked the seat with her hand. "It's vacant. You can take it."

"T-Thank you." Nataki replied a bit hesitantly.

Once she had settled into her seat, she grabbed her spiral-bound notebook and a pen from her school bag before propping it against the bottom of her desk.

"I haven't seen you around here before." The sound of the girl's voice came from behind her. "You just move here or something?"

Nataki slowly turned her body sideways so she could face the girl more directly. "Yes, just last week actually."

"Where from?"

Smiling coyly, Nataki proceeded to say, "You'll just have to wait and see~" Winking playfully she added, "No spoilers."

The girl stared blankly at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Oh my god, you're a _dork_."

The word struck Nataki a bit abruptly, and she didn't know how to respond. Feeling a bit lackluster, she slowly rotated her body so that she was facing the chalk board, but the feeling of the girl's hand upon her shoulder stopped her.

"No, it's cool. I like dorks." She smirked. "I'm Suzude, Haine." Outstretching her hand toward Nataki she added, "And you?"

"Kuzana, Nataki." She replied while returning the gesture, a small, somewhat awkward smile claiming her face. _I don't know what to make of her._

"Cool." Haine said with a hum. "Surprised you didn't get lost on the way here – you look like the type that would."

Nataki let a nervous chuckle escape her. It was true – Nataki _had_ found her way to the school . . . after bumping into a certain __someone __who had seemed to be suppressing the urge to throw her into oncoming traffic. Somehow, she couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that her clumsiness had led to an atrocity rather a simple mistake. I mean, she bumped into the CEO by _mistake_ . . . but that little 'mistake' of hers had caused him to spill his hot coffee all over the handsome white suit he was wearing. The icy cold glare from his eyes was practically frozen in her mind, and thinking about it made her mouth dry, and her body shiver.

"Hey!" Haine's voice snapped, jarring Nataki back to the present. As she returned her attention to the girl, she noticed two gold-rimmed star earrings dangling from her ears and smiled.

"You have very cute earrings!" Nataki exclaimed.

"Thanks." Haine replied with a somewhat surprised look on her face. "Want a piece of gum?" She offered.

"Oh, maybe later." Nataki answered. "I don't want to be chewing like a cow when I'm introducing myself."

Hazel eyes narrowing suddenly at the remark Haine spat, "You saying I chew like a cow?"

Nataki gasped. "No, no, it's an expression. A lot of people from my hometown used it because, well, they raised livestock and cows have a funny way of chewing."

"Oh." She paused. "So you're a country girl?"

Before she could reply, the teacher entered the classroom. This signaled all of the students who were up and about chatting to take their seats, and for those who were seated to face the front of the room.

"Good morning, class. I see we have a new student." He nodded in Nataki's direction. "My name is Bosakara, Kyuren. Please, come up front and introduce yourself." So Nataki did as she was asked

"Hello. My name is Kuzana, Nataki." She greeted politely.

"Welcome, Kuzana-san." The collective group of students in 1-A replied.

"Very nice." The teacher said with a smile. "Well Kuzana-san, please tell us a bit about yourself."

"Of course." Collecting herself Nataki began, "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I recently moved from the town of Furubira." Then, as if on cue, she pulled down the map of Japan dangling halfway down the chalk board. She pointed at the area of her hometown with her index finger and continued, "Furubira is a _beautiful_ little town that faces the Japan Sea. Fishing is a major occupation for a lot of the townspeople, and we eat a lot of Alaskan Pollack, shrimp, and clams. There are also some family-owned farms there, some with livestock. It's quite rural compared to Domino." She smiled. "I must admit, sharing this with you makes me a tad homesick, but I'm really looking forward to getting to know you and experience all Domino has to offer."

"When you say 'rural,' do you mean like, no shopping centers, movie theaters or . . . ?" One student asked suddenly.

"Well, not exactly. There are quite a few shopping plazas, and also a decent sized movie theater in the town. There is also a large pier near the harbor where festivals and other events are held. By rural, I mean the land is mostly agricultural – less built up, I suppose."

Another student raised his hand and queried, "So did you live on a farm?"

"No, I didn't live on one. But I _did_ work with the animals, and tend to the crops my neighbors grew whenever I could."

And then one of her peers asked a question . . . no, _the_ question that was so second-nature to the inhabitants of Domino City is was practically an unspoken requirement.

"Do you play Duel Monsters?"

Nataki gazed out at her classmates, all of which had their eyes fixated on her expectantly. _Geez, that card game practically has a cult following here. _"Yes, but never professionally or anything. I've played it to pass the time with some friends back home." Smiling hopefully she added, "I wouldn't say I'm good in any sense of the word, but I'm definitely hoping to get better at playing it while I'm here."

A wave of unspoken acceptance seemed to reflect in the eyes of their classmates and Nataki smiled. _Dodged a bullet on that one – I wonder what would have happened if I didn't actually like Duel Monsters?_ She thought to herself. After a brief moment, Nataki bowed her head and returned to her seat while the applause tapered off. Before she sat down she was met with a smile from Haine and a stick of gum waiting on her desk.


	3. Forming Friendships

During study hall, a few classmates flocked to Nataki's desk to ask her questions, most of which were about living in Furubira. Accustomed to the urban lifestyle of Domino City, many students wanted to know more about the little hometown from which the newcomer in their class had come. Aside from these and other more general questions, an occasional Duel Monsters question would be thrown into the mix, including "What deck type do you use?", "How would describe your strategy?", "Do you have any rare cards?", "How long have you been dueling?", and "Did you ever duel in a tournament of any kind?"

Once things settled down, Nataki leaned back in her seat and sighed in contentment. A quick tap on her shoulder caused her to spin herself around so she could face Haine, who was staring at her expectantly.

"Well?" She began. "May I approach the bench now?"

"Nataki chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Cool. Let's talk Duel Monsters." Haine chirped while rummaging through her school bag. A moment later she held a stack of Duel Monsters cards in her hand tightly bound together by a rubber band. "On a scale of one to ten, with one being absolutely horrible, and ten being ungodly awesome, how would you rate yourself? Are you a champ or a chump?"

Nataki laughed nervously. "Um, maybe a three?" _I mean, I wouldn't call myself a 'chump,' but . . . _

"So basically you're an amateur, at best." Haine sighed.

"Yeah, I'm still in the learning stage I guess." She replied sheepishly. "I haven't really devoted a lot of time to it."

"Maybe I can still work this." Haine started anew, her hazel eyes darting toward Nataki's school bag before returning to her face. "Alright, let me see 'em."

"See . . . what, Suzude-san?"

"Your aunt's fine diamonds. What do you _think_ I mean? Your cards, dopey."

"Oh!" Nataki gasped while reaching into her school bag, retrieving a somewhat thin stack of cards rubber-banded together much like Haine's. With a quick motion of her hand, Haine took them and began fanning them out onto her desk. After a few seconds of skimming them over she let out groan.

"No offense, but this is probably the worst attempt at a dueling deck I've ever seen."

Nataki laughed nervously. _She certainly doesn't beat around the bush at all. She just tells it like she sees it. _

"Oy vey, we've got some serious work to do." She shoved the cards back into Nataki's hand. "We need to get you a starter deck that is actually, well, not a total fail if you're ever going to have a chance of entering a tournament or anything." Standing up from her seat, Haine looked down at Nataki with a smile. "I may even consider letting you duel alongside of me someday."

"Really?" Nataki said with a smile. "That would be really fun, Suzude-san."

"Yeah, it would." She replied, her hazel eyes staring outside. "Hopefully Seto Kaiba will make another tournament sometime soon. Battle City was great! I scored quite a few rare cards by defeating other duelists." Smirking she added, "Wanna see 'em?" Before Nataki could answer, Haine removed the rubber band securing her cards and quickly fanned through them, stopping to remove the aforementioned rare cards. In a flash, she had all four facing up on her desk.

"Wow, they're nice!" Nataki said with a smile as she looked at them more closely. "And you got them because you defeated other duelists?"

"Yup." Placing them back into her deck, Haine shot her a smirk. "Before each duel, each player had to ante his or her rarest, most powerful card. The winner of the duel would get the loser's ante."

Nataki's smile faded. What Haine was describing sounded more like a _battle_ than a _game_ with the winner becoming a more formidable opponent, and the loser walking away weaker than before. As she saw it, Duel Monsters was a card game that was meant to be enjoyed, not a showcase of "survival of the fittest." Then again, that battle royale mentality didn't seem the _least_ bit _uncharacteristic_ of the man who had designed and hosted the tournament – Seto Kaiba. Thinking back on the glimpses she managed to catch on the television in her hometown of the Battle City Tournament, she actually remembered him saying that it was going to be "an all out war." Seto Kaiba's intensity and aggression was evident regardless of whether one watched him from afar or saw him in person, and even now as she reflected on this, her first encounter with him a few hours ago still made her stomach churn.

"Ahem." Haine cleared her throat suddenly, signaling for Nataki to pay attention.

Nataki blinked and shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry about that."

"Like I was saying . . . " Turning on her heel as she walked past her desk, she continued, "Let's fix this sorry excuse for a deck of yours after school so you can start dueling." Before Nataki could interject, Haine cut her off. "So it's decided then. Come with me after school. I know just the place."

* * *

Once the school day had reached its end, Nataki followed Haine to the Kame Game Shop, a small gaming store owned by Sugoroku Muto, a revered expert on the origin of Duel Monsters, and an experienced duelist. While his dueling days had steadily come to an end, the old-timer enjoyed helping novice duelists get started. Of course, his grandson was also the King of Games, which brought in more customers and beginners of the game. Nataki sighed. Apparently, Haine thought her deck was in need of as much expertise as possible. She didn't press the issue or fight Haine on it.

When they arrived at the store, Nataki was a bit taken aback at how small and quaint it seemed. In her mind, she had been thinking that something run by the family of the Duel Monsters champion family must be elaborate. She was pleasantly surprised by the small family-run business impression it gave her. The bell near the top of the door jingled lightly as they walked inside. There were a few other teenagers wandering around the shop, none of which she recognized from her class, but knew belonged to the same school because of their uniforms. Smiling to herself, Nataki caroused the tiny shop, looking at all the collectibles and cards behind the counters. Just as she was kneeling down to look at one in particular that had caught her eye, she heard a low, somewhat raspy voice.

"Hello, welcome to the Kame Game Shop. What can I help you with?"

Suddenly, Nataki felt a hand pulling her up.

"Hey old man." Haine greeted him with familiarity. "This kid needs _a lot _of help fixing up her mess of a dueling deck." She remarked as she placed a hand on Nataki's shoulder.

"Hmm, is that so?" He inquired while looking at Nataki. "Well, I can certainly get you started. My name is Muto, Sugoroku. My grandson Yugi will probably come strolling in soon, and he likes to help new duelists, too." Then with a wink he added, "You probably know of him as the Duel Monsters Champion,' am I right?"

"Ah yes! Your grandson truly is very talented, Muto-san. I'm looking forward to meeting him." Holding out her hand politely, she added, "And it's a pleasure to meet you too, of course."

"Likewise, and please call me Sugoroku." The old man said as he shook her hand. "And I'm sure he'll be happy to meet you, too. Yugi is always anxious to help others learn how to play, so I'm confident he'll be more than willing to give you some tips." Emerging from behind the counter, Sugoroku approached her and smiled. "So, let's see this deck of yours."

While other teens meandered through the shop, Haine oversaw the whole ordeal and offered consent to many of the suggestions he gave her. Nataki couldn't help feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the information – there were so many different monster effects, spell cards, and trap cards it became rather confusing to her after a while. She must have conveyed her bewilderment outwardly because the old man's flow of speech stopped.

"Am I going too fast, dear?"

"Her brain is probably trying to process all these rules and stipulations. I remember when I first learned how to play – it sounded like a foreign language to me." Haine said knowingly.

Nataki nodded regretfully, but Sugoroku smiled at her with the kind of patience that only those who had truly seen almost everything could possess.

"It's a lot to take in, especially for someone who has very little experience." As he browsed her deck he smiled. "But I can tell that you've selected your cards with care. I'm sure Yugi would agree." Handing the deck back to her, he looked up at the sky. "After all, one can't be a true duelist if there is no heart in his or her cards."

"And strategy." Haine added. "I mean, it's all good to believe in your cards, but you also have to be knowledgeable about how and when to play them."

"Of course." He concurred.

Almost as if on cue, the bell jingled as the door opened, revealing the unmistakable Duel King and his closest companions.

"Hi jii-chan." Yugi greeted with a smile. Then, upon noticing the small crowd of teens added, "The game shop seems lively today."

"Ah, here he is – the man of the hour!" Sugoroku beamed with pride.

Just then, Jounouchi stepped forward with a big grin."Aw, shucks gramps."

"He's not talking about _you_." Anzu remarked.

"Well now, don't you look like a fool." Honda mocked.

"Wha?" Upon noticing Haine and Nataki he shrugged. "Oh, well it's just Suzude and another chick. No big deal."

"Actually," Haine interjected while pushing Nataki out in front of her. "This 'chick' just moved here, and I decided to take her under my wing and help her out, starting with her dueling deck."

Nataki's face flushed slightly at being introduced so abruptly._ So much for a positive first impression. _Shaking off the feeling, she bowed her head and shot the group a courteous smile. "My name is Kuzana, Nataki. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Yugi shot her a warm smile and held out his hand. "I'm Muto, Yugi." He replied softly. With a small chuckle he added, "But I'm guessing you already knew that."

"Yes, your reputation stretches well beyond this city, Muto-san. You were a celebrity even in the small town I grew up in."

"As does his hairstyle, no doubt." Haine added. "I mean, you see it once and you'd remember it forever, am I right?"

As Yugi's cheeks tinged a delicate pink in slight embarrassment Nataki shook her head at Haine. "Well, _I_ think it's rather _fitting_ for the 'King of Games.'" Nataki countered.

"Please, call me Yugi." He said as gratitude flashed in his violet eyes.

"How'd you get caught up with _this_ troublemaker?" Jounouchi wondered aloud while stepping forward. "She's kind of a punk."

Haine smirked at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Well anyway," He continued. "The name's Jounouchi, Katsuya. Most people just call me Jounouchi, though." He stated while giving Nataki a strong handshake. "And this dude here," He began again, gesturing to the brunette. "Is Honda, Hiroto."

"Honda is fine." He interjected, delivering a handshake of his own.

"I'm Mazaki, Anzu. The only female in this sorry bunch." She teased. "Nice to meet you, Kuzana-san." Then, she added, "So you're in 1-A with Suzude-san?"

"Yes." Nataki nodded. "Which class are you guys in?"

"We're in 2-B." Anzu replied before her face became pensive for a moment. "We should hang out during lunch sometime! I think your class has the same lunch period as ours."

"Yeah, we should!" Jounouchi interjected. "Especially because, from what I can tell, you like Duel Monsters!"

"That sounds great!" Nataki replied. "I'd really like that."

"So, you're here to ramp up your dueling deck?" Yugi started anew. "May I take a look?"

"Yes, please!" She said while handing it to him.

Soon enough, Nataki was beginning to understand how the game worked. Yugi the rest of the gang helped her by showing how they had structured their own decks, and provided her with suggestions for possible cards she could buy in the future to strengthen her deck. Sugoroku grinned, enjoying how his grandson's wisdom helped not only to bolster new duelists' morale, but also his sales.

"I really appreciate all of this." Nataki said cheerfully. "Thank you, all of you, so much!"

"Of course, anytime." Yugi replied. Then, he reached into the inside pocket of his denim jacket and retrieved a card. "Take this. It's a great one for beginners experimenting with monster effects."

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly-" Nataki tried, but he shook his head.

"Really, I _want_ you to have it, Kuzana-san." He smiled brightly. "It's a token of our friendship, and your official start as a duelist."

Haine impatiently peered over Nataki's shoulder to see what it was. "Ooh, a Marshmallon. Not too shabby!"

Nataki's eyes lit up at seeing the cute little pink character on the card. "It's so cute! Thank you, Yugi-san. I love it!" She exclaimed.

"Well, you'll need a spell card to boost your deck, too." Jounouchi stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "And I already have one, so why don't you take this?" Swiftly, he held out his hand. Inside it was a card with four little colored rams on it.

"That's really sweet of you, Jounouchi-san. But you don't have to-" Once again, Nataki's protests were dismissed.

"Just take it, already." He insisted. "Scapegoat is really helpful for defending your life points if you lose your other monsters. It's gotten me through a few difficult situations."

"A few? Dude, those little goats have saved your ass _tons_ of times." Honda jeered.

"Shaddup you nimrod." He barked. "At least I _actually_ duel."

"Oh yeah?" Just then, Honda reached into his pocket and retrieved his deck. He fumbled through it until he found a particular card that he liked. "Well, I guess I won't be needing cards like _this_ one, then." Hastily, he slapped the card into Nataki's hand, at which she gasped.

"Honda-san, hold on a minute!" She squealed. "This is getting out of hand!"

"It's cool. Everyone else is helping to get you started, so think if it as a contribution." Winking he continued, "And besides, Jounouchi isn't wrong. I don't duel all that much, so she'll be of much greater use to you."

"I don't know . . ." She looked down at the three cards her friends had given her. "I feel bad accepting them.

"Really, don't feel bad." Yugi shook his head. "Kuzana-san, the best decks are built from _team_ effort." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And this way, it's like we're dueling _with_ you."

Nataki blinked and said nothing, taking in all of the kind words and gestures. She hadn't anticipated making so many friends so quickly, and she couldn't hold back a few stray happy tears from trickling down her cheeks. _It's like something from a dream._

Yugi gasped, not certain if the tears trickling down Nataki's cheeks were happy or sad, and Jounouchi gasped.

"Look what you made her do, you idiot!" He yelled while scowling at his ambivalent friend.

"_Me?!_ What did _I_ do?" Honda asked angrily.

"Sorry guys. I'm just so . . . happy." She said finally. After wiping her tears away, she held the cards close to her heart. "Thank you, all of you." She said, smiling warmly.

"You cry baby." Haine mocked while playfully pinching her cheek. "What card did he give you, anyway?"

Nataki looked down at the card and smiled. "Command Angel. I really like her. Thanks, Honda-san!"

"Don't forget about _me_!" Anzu interrupted. "I've got a _really_ helpful card for you to take with you." She slowly retrieved it from her deck and handed it to Nataki. "All you need is a little faith to go a long way, and this card will see to that." She added with a wink.

"Wow, the Magician of Faith is really amazing." Nataki agreed while glancing down at the card. "Thank you so much Mazaki-san!"

"Call me Anzu." She said with smile. "And you're very welcome."

Haine rolled her eyes and reached into her own card holster. "You guys are going to make me look bad if I don't give her a card now."

Nataki shook her head. "Suzude-san, that's not true . . ."

"Well, I was going to wait a bit until you _actually _started dueling, but I guess it's better that you have it now." Throwing the card in Nataki's direction like a shuriken, Haine was surprised to see her catch it between her fingers.

"Fencing Fire Ferret is one of my favorites because it packs a big punch, but presents itself in a small package. Much like myself." Haine said with a grin. "Use it well."

"I honestly don't know what to say . . ." As she looked at the cards, and then her friends, she felt truly happy. What had started off as a rather difficult, stressful morning had ended up being a fantastic day. "Except that I'm so glad to have met all of you. I'm looking forward to getting to know you even more, and maybe even duel with you all someday."

"What a speech." Haine teased. "Well, I'm going to head home." After patting her on the shoulder and turning to walk out the door she added, "See you tomorrow, Nat."

Nataki smiled at her new nickname, realizing that Haine had just openly acknowledged her as a friend, and waved. "Sounds good . . . Haine-san."

Before she had disappeared out of sight, she could have sworn she saw Haine smile, pleased by what she heard. Then, turning to Yugi and his group she said her goodbyes and thanked them for everything. She also extended her gratitude to his grandfather, who was delighted to be of help and meet another one of his grandson's friends.

As she neared the door Anzu cried out, "So, does tomorrow sound good for meeting us for lunch?"

Nataki nodded and gave a hearty thumbs up. "Sounds like a plan!"

* * *

****A/N******: **And we're finally moving! I'm sorry if the first two chapters seemed slow – trying to establish a bit of an introduction for an OC is difficult, especially since this plot takes place within the original Yu-Gi-Oh! story line.

Moral of this chapter: CARDS = FRIENDSHIP (cheesy, I know but it really _does_ fit into the mold of the show. These cards will eventually appear in future chapters as Nataki duels (or rather tries to, haha): _Marshmallon_ \- **Yugi**; _Scapegoat_ \- **Jounouchi**; _Command Angel_ \- **Honda**; _Magician of Faith_ \- **Anzu**; and _Fencing Fire Ferret_ \- **Haine**.

Please feel free to leave me some feedback! :)

As always, thanks for reading!


	4. A Little Slice of Domino

The days passed by swimmingly as Nataki began to find her niche in the big city, her "little slice of Domino," as she called it. The trip to school became easier, especially once she realized that there was a quicker, less congested route to get there from the apartment complex in which she lived. Faces once belonging to strangers became more familiar to her at school, and she felt surrounded by support and companionship. Haine, who had taken Nataki under her wing and offered her tutelage, had become quite fond of her. And then there was Yugi and his friends – Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu – who had extended the sentiments of friendship to Nataki as well. Classmates and other peers remarked on how Nataki seemed to 'fit in' with the bunch quite seamlessly, with Haine overseeing it all. Everything seemed to be getting easier.

Ever since the first invitation by Anzu to eat lunch with her and the rest of the gang, Nataki would bring her bento with her to 2-B and join them every other day. Haine would usually tag along, but sometimes she would stay in class. Other times, she would meet with members of the school swim team she was a part of. She had mentioned the idea in passing and asked Nataki if she would be interested in trying out.

"Maybe someday." She had replied. "I'm still getting my feet wet around here."

"Punny." Haine had snorted. "Well, if you change your mind let me know. I'm sure you'd make the team."

"Thanks for the confidence." Nataki had told her. "And I'd love to attend your swimming matches, Haine-chan." She added with a smile. "If you don't mind."

With slightly flushed cheeks, Haine had turned away and said, "Do whatever you want." dismissively. Despite her nonchalant response, Nataki could sense that Haine was pleased by the idea.

* * *

As Nataki stood up from her seat, she stretched her arms and yawned. Haine, whose head was titled back, eyes closed, asked flatly, "Heading out to see Yugi and company?"

Nataki nodded.

"Have fun." She replied.

"Aren't you coming?" Nataki asked curiously, retrieving her bento from her school bag.

"Nah, I'm going to take a nap." And with a smirk she added, "Didn't get enough sleep during lecture."

"You really _should_ try to pay more attention." Nataki advised. "Bosakara-sensei said the science test coming up is going to be difficult."

"Well, it's a good thing _you_ take such good notes for me." Haine said with a wink.

Nataki sighed and proceeded to the door. "Well, have a good nap."

"I will," She replied while crossing her legs and resting her feet atop her desk. "Catch ya later, alligator."

"In a while, crocodile." Nataki said in a singsong voice. It had become customary for the two to deliver this exchange whenever they parted, and it had grown on her. Her friendship with Haine really had blossomed, and it made Nataki's heart swell.

* * *

Upon entering 2-B she noticed that Yugi and Jounouchi were deep in concentration, and from the way Duel Monsters cards were laid out on both desks, which were turned to face each other, she was almost positive the two were engaged in a duel. As Nataki approached, Anzu looked up from watching the guys and smiled.

"Hey, Nataki-chan." She greeted pleasantly. "You haven't missed much. They just started."

"Yeah, and Jounouchi is already losing, as always." Honda jeered.

"You don't know that!" Jounouchi barked. "I've got the upper hand with my Jinzo on the field!"

"We'll see about that, Jounouchi-kun." Yugi replied. "While your Jinzo may render my _trap_ cards useless, my _magic_ cards are unaffected." Then, placing a card face up on the field he added, "Like this one – Magic Formula! Because of its effect, my Dark Magician Girl gains 700 attack points, making her more than strong enough to take on your Jinzo."

Jounouchi gasped and shot Yugi a disappointed look. "Ah man, I should have seen that coming!" With his monster destroyed, he let out a groan. "Damn, you're just too good, Yug."

"Well, he IS the King of Games." Anzu reminded.

Looking up from their cards, Yugi and Jounouchi smiled at Nataki.

"Hey, good to see you Nataki-san." Yugi stated.

"Yeah, pop a squat. We haven't eaten yet." Jounouchi stated.

With a nod, she seated herself in a nearby vacant desk. As she opened her bento, Jounouchi gasped.

"You've _gotta_ give me some of your recipes!" He exclaimed. "Your lunches are always so good!"

"Thank you Jounouchi-kun." She replied, a slight tinge of red claiming her cheeks. "I'd be more than happy to." Then, without a moment's hesitation she offered some of her lunch to them, to which Jounouchi happily obliged.

All of the sudden, he looked up from his lunch. "Oh, _great_. Looks like Mr. Sunshine is going to stay here for lunch."

Collectively, the group peered in the direction Jounouchi was looking. Almost immediately Nataki realized with acute clarity that he was referring to none other than Seto Kaiba, and her heart sunk in her chest. Heaviness seemed to fill her as cold cobalt eyes gazed intently in her direction. Kaiba's face remained stoic, but Nataki could almost read his emotions as they scrawled across his face in a matter of seconds – blatant disinterest, followed by recognition of her, surprise, and finally, annoyance.

_No way . . . does he recognize me? _She gasped internally. _But I haven't seen him since the first day I came to school. It's been __**two**__ weeks._

Panic spread through her like a plague, and Yugi looked at Nataki anxiously. "Are you all right, Nataki-san?"

Somehow, she heard him, but the words didn't register in her mind, and she gave him no response. Noticing her lack of a reply, Anzu tried to get her attention.

"What's up, Nataki-chan? You look worried."

"What?" She answered finally. "Oh, no, it's nothing."

Anzu shot her an incredulous look, at which Nataki added, "Really, I'm fine. Just . . . surprised, I guess. I didn't know Kaiba-san attended this school." Looking down at her hands, she began fidgeting with them. "Or that he was in your class."

"Kaiba-kun isn't here too often." Yugi stated calmly. "But he _does_ have to attend a certain number of days, and always on days we have exams I remember overhearing Vesuko-sensei say a while back."

With an air of sheer superiority, the CEO ventured to his seat in silence, refusing to acknowledge anyone around him. Retrieving a book from his schoolbag, he opened to a page that was slightly folded at the top right corner and stared down at it. Nataki's heart was pounding madly in her chest, and suddenly she wanted to return to her own classroom. He hadn't said a single word to her, or even openly acknowledged her, but somehow he had made her throat dry, and her stomach shaky. Kaiba's presence was overpowering, triggering her fight or flight response, to which she knew she would almost always choose flight.

"Thanks for inviting me to lunch, you guys." She said, her voice coming out less audible than she had meant it to. "But I think I should head back to class now."

"You _just_ got here." Honda remarked.

"Yeah, stay a bit." Anzu added. "Or does Kaiba-kun being here bother you that much?"

Nataki bit her lip. She was clearly acting ridiculous, and decided to stop embarrassing herself and shortchanging her friends the time she promised them. How rude she must have sounded! Suddenly, she felt bad at how ungrateful she had probably come across.

But at hearing his name mentioned in passing, Kaiba looked up from his book. Nataki tried not to notice. She imagined that he most likely wanted her gone, if she had been correct in her assumption that he _did_ remember her.

_But really, what kind of person stays mad at someone for such a simple accident?_ She mused. Trying to make sense of it, she worked to put the pieces together in her mind. She had been clumsy, which left him with a stained suit, a suit that probably cost more than _all_ of the clothes in her closet. Then, suddenly realizing the most likely reason for his anger, she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. The coffee hadn't been the issue at all, and her offer to buy him a new one was of little relevance to the matter, as was the fact that he could easily buy another suit. Someone in his position, an influential public figure under the harsh scrutiny of the media, had to walk around with coffee stains on his suit on his way to work.

_Kaiba-san must have felt humiliated by the fact that he had to walk around with a sullied suit._

Taking a deep breath, Nataki finally looked back at the company of her friends. "No, it doesn't. I'm fine." Reaching for her bento, she smiled and added, "I'm sorry – that was rude of me. I'm so glad I get to eat lunch with you all. Thank you."

"You sure?" Jounouchi prodded. "You looked seriously spooked a minute ago." Then, he leered at Kaiba before adding, "Did that jerk say something mean to you?"

"No!" Nataki exclaimed with a sort of panic. Talking about her discomfort actually exacerbated it, and more than anything she wanted to change the subject. Thinking quickly, she replied, "He's just a little _intimidating_ is all."

"His bark is worse than his bite, trust me. He's just a prick, really. As long as you ignore him, he won't bother you." Then, Jounouchi tapped Nataki on the forehead with his index finger. "But if he _does_ bother you at all, I'll take care of him."

"Yeah, because that's worked _so_ well in the past." Anzu sighed tiredly.

"Kaiba-kun really isn't a bad person." Yugi interjected in his usual soft-spoken manner. "He's just not the most approachable person, I suppose."

"Yeah, friends aren't exactly his __thing__." Honda added, at which Yugi smiled sadly.

"Not that we don't consider him a friend. It's just Kaiba-kun has made it pretty clear that he doesn't have time for friends." Taking a bite of his lunch, Yugi continued, "I think deep down inside, he _does_ see us as his friends though. He just won't ever say it."

"Why?" Nataki asked.

"Bastard probably thinks he's too good for us." Jounouchi spat loud enough for the CEO to hear. "Whatever. It's his loss."

Nataki took in what they were saying and suddenly wondered whether her fear of him was justified. While Jounouchi seemed to hold a sour taste in his mouth at the mere mention of the man, Yugi, Kaiba's greatest rival, referred to him with the same degree of respect as he did others. She didn't know why such a discrepancy existed, but she knew one thing for certain as she thought over what they had said – she had no right to judge him.

_Other than what has been publicized, I know very little about him . . . except for his short temper, which I experienced firsthand. But I don't want to base her opinion of him as a person on one encounter. _She thought to herself.

After all, if Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu – who had known Kaiba for years hadn't spoken _that_ badly of him, who was she to do so? She decided that she would withhold how she felt about the man until she knew him a little better. While she certainly didn't feel comfortable initiating a conversation with him at this point, if a situation arose where it was prompted or necessary, she would try her best to do so. Smiling to herself, she continued to eat her lunch. In the midst of a new conversation Anzu had started about a new dance game recently installed at the arcade, she said "Thanks you guys."

"For what?" Jounouchi asked.

"For welcoming me here. You've been so helpful to me with your insight and kind words. I'm so glad to have met all of you. "

"Don't make it weird." Jounouchi teased.

"_Nice,_ man." Honda spat.

"I'm just saying, I'm not one for sappy stuff!"

"We're happy to help." Anzu interrupted. "Always."

"Anytime." Yugi agreed.

After lunch had ended, Nataki returned to her classroom and sat down at her desk. Haine, who was fast asleep snored softly, her mouth wide open. Nataki laughed gently before waking her.

"Lunch is over _already_?" She asked with a yawn.

"Yeah, I figured I would wake you up before Bosakara-sensei did."

"How was lunch with the nerds?" Haine inquired. "Same as always?"

Nataki nodded.

"That's good." A pause. "I'm glad you've made yourself some friends here, Nat."

Smiling warmly, Nataki tapped Haine on the head. "Yes, I've made many wonderful friends, _you_ included." Then, with a wink she added, "Thank you."

Haine returned the smile and flicked her finger against Nataki's forehead. "Yeah, yeah."


	5. Tutor of Terror

The school bell rang, announcing the beginning of lunch. As students proceeded to move about, Nataki remained seated, her eyes fixated on the science test she had taken the previous day that had been handed back to her. Somehow, she had managed to fail the test by a few points, and the mark of her failure seemed engraved into her deeply enough to affect her mood. The note from her teacher suggesting that she attend after school tutoring only exacerbated her feelings of inadequacy.

"It's not _that _big of a deal." Haine stated flatly. "I mean, it's _one _bad grade. You'll do better next time."

"But Bosakara-sensei said that exams make-up thirty percent of our overall grade." She replied sullenly. "Our scores on the tests carry a lot of weight."

"But like I said, it's only _one_ bad grade." Haine reminded her. When Nataki didn't seem to acknowledge her, she added "It's really _not_ a big deal, Nat." Tilting her chin up so that she could look into Nataki's eyes directly she continued, "And what's so bad about working with a tutor?"

"Oh, I don't mind working with a tutor at all." Nataki replied softly while trying to avert Haine's gaze with little success.. "I just wouldn't want to waste someone's time. I mean, I'm sure if I had studied a _little_ more . . . "

Haine rolled her eyes and flicked Nataki on the nose before standing up. "You wouldn't be bothering the tutor, do-do. That's a tutor's _job_ – to help others learn. And even if you're right – that you would have done better if you had studied more . . ." Turning on her heel to face the door, Haine continued, "It couldn't hurt to have some extra support. It must be exhausting – studying, trying to settle into your new life . . ." After a brief pause she whispered " . . .working." Sighing, Haine concluded. "Maybe a little one-on-one time with someone could lighten the load, at least in this area of your life?"

Nataki nodded. She knew Haine was right. It had only been a month since she first moved to Domino, started attending classes at the high school, and began working at a small cafe a few blocks from the apartment complex in which she lived. Working was against school rules, but Nataki needed to pay for her monthly rent and other necessary expenditures. She was still struggling to find a balance between the two, often biting off more than she could chew at her job. Additionally, Nataki was the first person to fill-in for another employee, and was always willing to stay late. Being self-sufficient in Domino City certainly did prove difficult at times, but she had known that it would be from the beginning. Nataki was never one to give up in the face of adversity, and she wasn't about to start now. She would get by, she had no doubts about that. But she began to think that perhaps she _had_ been spreading herself too thin.

"Okay. I'll look into it." She replied finally.

"Good." And with that, Haine lightly punched her on the shoulder. "Don't make me worry about you."

"I'll certainly try not to." Nataki said with a genuine smile. "Are you going to meet with the rest of the team now?"

Haine nodded. "Yep. We have a big swim meet coming up, so our coach is really crunching down on us to get in more laps. Tell the dorks I say 'Hi.'" In an instant, she had disappeared into the hallway.

Nataki sighed softly. "Sure thing, Haine-chan."

* * *

Gathering her bento, Nataki proceeded to meet with Yugi and the rest of the group. When she reached 2-B, she noticed Anzu seated next to him, and was surprised to see that he was holding the golden pyramid-shaped object he always wore around his neck in his hands. Nataki had found it a curious thing ever since she first saw it, especially since Yugi used a _chain_ to secure it around his neck (although she imagined it was likely quite heavy if it was made of gold, she supposed it made sense.) She assumed the object was special to him, perhaps a souvenir his grandfather had brought back from one of his archaeological trips to Egypt. Smiling to herself, Nataki realized how well she had become acquainted with Yugi and his friends. It made her heart a little less heavy.

Upon noticing her enter, Anzu flagged her over. "Hey Nataki-chan! You're late!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." She replied, sitting down in a vacant desk beside her. "I was talking to Haine-chan about something." Looking around, she realized that two members of the group were missing. "Where are Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun?"

"Probably outside." Yugi said thoughtfully. "They said they needed some air."

"Oh." Nataki hesitated a moment. "Well, I'll save each of them a dumpling."

"You're too kind, Nataki-san." Yugi smiled.

"Yeah, don't spoil those two idiots _too_ much." Anzu jeered. "They never turn down an offer for free food."

With a light chuckle, Nataki replied, "Oh, I don't mind at all! I love cooking for my friends." Then, pushing her bento toward Anzu and Yugi she added, "Would you like to try some?"

"Sure!" Anzu and Yugi said almost in unison before glancing at each other with slightly red tinged cheeks, at which Nataki laughed.

Clearing his throat, Yugi started anew. "How did the science test go? I remember you talking about the flash cards you had made to review a lot of the content. Did they help at all?"

Nataki felt the same lump in her throat as she had earlier. "I didn't do as well as I would have liked." She replied. "But I think the flash cards did help a little."

"I'm sorry." He said softly, nervously brushing back the blonde lightning bolt shaped bangs from his bright violet eyes.

"Don't be, please. I appreciate you checking on me." Nataki said with a smile.

Just then, Jounouchi and Honda entered, puffing out their chests in annoyance. They half stomped their way toward Nataki and the others and noisily flopped into their desks.

"Man, I can't _stand_ that jerk." Jounouchi huffed.

"What happened?" Anzu inquired.

"We went out to get a breath of fresh air and wouldn't you know Kaiba was sitting there reading."

"Yeah, smug bastard starts making his annoying little comments, and we're trying to ignore him. But he just keeps being a jerk, and finally I'm about to wallop him in the jaw to shut him up and wouldn't you know, one of the teachers comes over."

"Jounouchi almost got axed." Honda interrupted. "The only reason he didn't is because I restrained him."

"Geez." Anzu sighed while shooting Jounouchi a look of disapproval. "You make it too easy for him, Jounouchi. You know Kaiba-kun feeds off your anger."

"You should be more careful, you two." Yugi advised.

"Yes, I don't want to lose any of my lunch buddies." Nataki said with a smile.

"Especially my unofficial _taste-testers_."

"What?" Jounouchi asked suddenly. Then, smelling the fresh dumplings, a giddy smile appeared on his face. "Oh man, those smell _awesome_!"

"Ditto!" Honda remarked.

"I'd love your input on how they came out." Nataki said while moving her bento over toward them. "I added some ginger this time."

Without a moment of hesitation, the two _devoured_ their dumplings. Sounds of approval shortly followed, and they all laughed.

_Moments like these make me forget my worries, if only for a little while. _Nataki thought to herself while combing back her raven bangs. _I'm so glad I met all of you._

* * *

After following up with her teacher, Nataki decided to stay after school for some tutoring. He had offered to let her retake the test on the condition that she attended at least five tutoring sessions, which she readily agreed to. Making her way to the library, Nataki wondered if there would be a tutor available, since appointments were on a first come first serve basis. Still, she hoped that there would be _someone_ free after calling in to her employer to request a later start time for her shift.

When Nataki entered the library, she noticed that many tables were already occupied by tutors and tutees. After a moment or two of scanning the premises, however, she spotted a lone student sitting at a table far away from the rest of them. Wondering if he was a tutor, she proceeded over to check.

"Excuse me." She began. "I was wondering, are you a tutor?"

Removing the book from his face, the male shot her a perturbed expression. He looked her over briefly, his cobalt eyes scrutinizing her, and all at once Nataki recognized him and realized her mistake.

"Oh great, it's _you_." Kaiba muttered.

Finding her mouth suddenly dry, Nataki was unable to speak. Upon noticing her loss for words, the renowned CEO of Kaiba Corporation folded the corner of the page he was reading and slammed the book shut.

"I _was_ hoping to finish this, but I suppose it'll have to wait."

"I didn't mean to interrupt you." She said finally. "I was just looking for a tutor."

"Well, I'm currently the only one available." Sighing deeply, Kaiba shot her sharp gaze. "Will that be a problem?"

_Not for __**me**__, but__ . . . _She thought suddenly before managing to squeak out,"N-No, of course not! I mean, as long _you're_ okay it?"

Kaiba merely nodded, waiting for her to explain what she needed help with.

"I just had a test on DNA and genetics, which I didn't do too well on." Pausing a moment she continued, "I think I'm having a difficult time understanding and memorizing a lot of the information."

"Let me see the test." He said flatly, his tone unenthused.

Somehow, the idea of showing the CEO her failed test exacerbated her negative feelings about it. Still, she knew that the only way he could help her was to see what she had struggled with. So, she retrieved the paper from her binder, which he quickly snatched from her. After a moment of looking at it, he set it down on the table.

"In order to answer _these_ questions correctly," He began as he circled them with a pen. "You would have needed to be able to answer _this_ one correctly: 'What does DNA stand for?'" When Nataki failed to produce a response he urged her on. "_Well_?"

"Ah, it stands for . . . um, that sugar that starts with a 'd' . . . dextrose?" She said somewhat reluctantly.

Upon hearing her response, Kaiba scoffed in disgust.

"Your inability to explain what DNA stands for makes me wonder how you even scored _this_ on the test." He mocked while tapping her score with his pen.

_Did he __**really**__ have to say that? _Nataki sat speechless, shaking internally while fighting back the urge to cry. _As if I didn't already feel bad enough about myself. _After a long pause, she somehow found the courage inside her to stand up to his snide remark.

"Kaiba-san, I really don't appreciate you _belittling_ me." Grasping her test she added, "If you aren't willing to help me, then I will wait for another tutor to be free. However, I see no reason I should _have_ to do that considering you apparently _are_ a tutor, and the only one currently available."

The CEO raised an eyebrow before casting her an incredulous look. "Do you _honestly_ think I would _volunteer _my precious time to be a tutor and help simpletons like _you_ study for exams?" He retorted in annoyance. "No, I have far more _important _things to attend to that require my time and attention." Then he mumbled under his breath "But thanks to that damn _mutt_, I have to spend an hour sitting here helping people learn crap they've already been taught."

_Does he mean Jounouchi-kun? _Nataki wondered suddenly. _That would make sense, considering he was almost expelled for getting into a physical confrontation with Kaiba-san. But why would he call him a 'mutt?' _Peering into the acute gaze of the CEO, Nataki wondered if tutoring had been the punishment Kaiba had received a punishment for instigating him. Swallowing hard, she found it difficult to maintain eye contact with him. How could he be so _unfeeling_? How could he talk about her friends in such a _demeaning_ manner? Who was _he_ to talk down to other people? Being successful didn't give him the right to treat people badly, and Nataki sure as hell wasn't about to sit around and deal with it.

Standing up slowly, she pushed in her chair and shot him a disappointed look. "If by 'mutt' you mean Jounouchi-kun, I don't appreciate the name calling."

"And yet you _knew_ it was him I was referring to." Kaiba asserted with a mocking smile, which Nataki ignored.

"And as far as tutoring goes, I can see why you were available. You don't seem very interested in helping anyone." With a bow, she turned away from him and added, "Goodbye, Kaiba-san."

As she walked away, she swore that her footsteps sounded louder than usual. Or maybe it was the sound of her frantic heart beat thumping loudly in her ears? She was upset, disappointed, humiliated by him. Nataki honestly couldn't believe what had just happened. She had _wanted_ to give Seto Kaiba the benefit of the doubt, but how _could_ she when he had been so unnecessarily biting and condescending? Walking around until she found a quiet spot, Nataki decided to use the time she had been granted by her employer to study on her own. Flipping through her binder, and opening her __Biology: The Study of Life __textbook, Nataki tried to revisit the areas she had struggled with the most, starting with the basics.

"DNA stands for deoxyribose nucleic acid, one of the information-containing molecules in the cell." She read aloud from the text. "The other molecule, RNA is ribonucleic acid." With a frustrated sigh she began massaging her temples. "But what does that even __mean__?"

A sudden shadow overcast her textbook, causing her to look up in irritation. _**Now**__ what? _She thought to herself before letting an audible gasp escape Kaiba stood in front of her, arms crossed in front of his chest and a rather stoic expression on his face.

"Yes, Kaiba-san?"

He said nothing at first – only continued to glance down at her and the work-space she had set up. Brushing his russet bangs from his eyes, the CEO turned away and mumbled "Grab your crap and come back to the table."

But Nataki remained seated, not quite sure if she was imagining the whole thing. _Am I __**that**__ pathetic? _When she heard him tapping his foot impatiently she realized he was actually standing there waiting for her to go with him. "But you just said-"

"I _know_ what I said." He interjected abruptly before sighing. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

Thinking for a moment, Nataki decided that she would try once more to work with him, despite going against her better judgment. After hastily grabbing her study materials, she followed him back to the table, averting the curious glances that other students were casting in her direction. _Perhaps I've made a terrible mistake?_

Once she was seated across from him, Nataki set down her textbook and binder filled with notes onto the table, which Kaiba promptly dismissed and shoved aside. "Clearly your . . . _methods_ haven't worked, so it's time to try something different." Retrieving a pen from his pocket and ripping out a piece of paper from her binder, Kaiba began sketching a strand of DNA. When he was finished, he rotated it so that she could see it right side up. "Every strand of DNA is a molecule contained in the nucleus of a cell, and each strand is made up nucleotides, the basic building blocks of amino acids. In the case of DNA, these include the sugar deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine." Pausing a moment to check for understanding, Kaiba let a sound of irritation escape him at noticing Nataki's somewhat perplexed expression. "Am I going too fast?"

"Well . . ." She tried, but cut herself off.

"Tch, fine." He replied sharply. "Then I'll break it down into even _simpler _terms."

Nataki smiled apologetically as he proceeded to explain it once more, this time sketching more diagrams and models of the concepts while using as basic a vocabulary he could muster. Although it was difficult to follow along with what he was saying at times, some of it made sense. Occasionally, he would ask a question to check for understanding, which Nataki would answer with a bit of trepidation in her voice. Still, as the CEO worked with her, Nataki could tell he was _trying_ to be patient with her. It must have been difficult for him to explain something simplistically enough for her to understand, but she appreciated his effort. She wasn't sure why, but something had changed when she left. Was it possible that he realized how unreasonable he had been? Or was he just trying to save his own skin by making sure he could claim some tutoring hours? Regardless, Nataki felt that Kaiba was, in fact, giving her his undivided attention, no matter how much it was needed for 'more important things.'

* * *

Almost an hour later, Nataki stood from her seat and proceeded to pack up her things. "Thank you very much for tutoring me, Kaiba-san." She said politely while bowing. "I think I understand DNA at least a little better."

"Hnn." Was all he offered as a reply while watching her. Just as she was about to turn and leave she heard him clear his throat. "Take ten minutes to review what we did later tonight." Then, he stood up and proceeded to walk away rather briskly.

Nataki watched him disappear and took in a deep breath. She had her doubts after the initial impression he had given her, but was glad that she decided to try to work with him. His sketches, combined with the notes she had taken while listening to him would surely help her master the content and pass the makeup test. Still, as she stood thinking about everything, Nataki realized that he left the nature of her tutoring rather ambiguous.

"I wonder if I'll be working with him tomorrow?" She thought aloud while heading out of the library to go to work. "I mean, it _would_ be more effective to work with the same tutor throughout each session, and he did explain things well, but . . ." Clutching her school bag more tightly and quickening her pace, Nataki remembered how unkind he had been initially. "Maybe it would be for the best if I work with someone else tomorrow. I'll try to be at the library earlier, and maybe someone else will be available." Deciding that it was a good plan, Nataki hustled down the streets of Domino while setting a reminder in her cell phone to review her notes later in the evening.


	6. A Mutual Arrangement

"So, how was it?" Haine asked while nonchalantly twirling an auburn strand around her finger.

Nataki knew that she was referring to the tutoring session she had attended the previous day, which she had avoided discussing up until now. It wasn't as if she had anything to hide, but rather Nataki knew that her experience would pique interest that was completely unnecessary. Kaiba was the only available tutor, she had already received permission to start her shift at the cafe a few hours later, and she needed the help. Still, as she thought back on his initial behavior, coupled with the curious glances of other students as she proceeded over to a table to work with him, she wondered just how uncommon it was to see him interacting with anyone, let alone working with someone.

"It was fine." She finally replied. "The tutor was . . . helpful and showed me a new way to take notes and study."

"That's good." Haine stated. "Hopefully it'll work out for you."

"Thank you." Nataki said with a smile. "I really hope so too."

"So anyway, I have a swim meet coming up this weekend. You can come watch if you want to." Then, dismissively she added, "I mean, unless you have something better to do. I won't be offended if you do."

"I'd love to come!" She exclaimed, her raven pigtails bouncing in response to her enthusiastic outburst.

"Oh~kay." Haine laughed. "It's at 1:00pm here at the school, obviously. I'm going to be here by 12:15 so if you want, you can come early and hang out."

"That sounds great!" Nataki said happily. "I'm looking forward to it."

Haine smirked and flicked Nataki's nose. "Geez, it's not _that_ exciting. You sound like a dork."

Nataki laughed faintly at the remark. She knew by now that Haine's name-calling was more out of endearment than derision.

"Anyhow, glad you wanna come." Haine said while reaching for her lunch. Nataki nodded while retrieving her own.

"I'm looking forward to it."

"By the way, have you even _tried_ to make yourself a deck since we visited that game shop?"

Nataki wore a sheepish grin, at which Haine sighed.

"Well, you should do that soon." A pause. "I'll help you, if you want."

"Really? I'd appreciate that very much, Haine-chan!" After taking a bite of her lunch, Nataki sighed. "I feel like I'm so busy between school and work that my free time disappears!"

"But if you ever want a chance to duel alongside a pro like myself, you're going to need to practice dueling against other greenhorns like yourself." Then, sticking her tongue out, she continued, "I like you, but not enough to make you my dueling partner if you're dead weight during a duel."

"Fair enough." Nataki agreed.

Once the school day had ended, Nataki packed up her things and proceeded to the library for tutoring, silently hoping for another tutor to be available. When she entered, she noticed that tutors working with tutees occupied practically all of the tables. She continued walking until she reached the same back table he had been sitting at the previous day, only to see that it was vacant. A mixture of relief and disappointment overtook her, and all at once, she felt ridiculous.

"Of course he's not here. After yesterday, he probably opted out of the tutoring in exchange for some other means of punishment for his aggression toward Jounouchi-kun." She sunk into one of the chairs and removed her textbook and notebook. "I did sort of hope to avoid working with him, but he _was_ helpful . . . " A sigh escaped her as she opened to the page she left off in the text book, and a clean page in her notebook. "Oh well, I'll make it work."

Just as she had began to read a paragraph about the structure of DNA, she heard someone clear his throat. Looking up from her text, she locked eyes with Kaiba who seemed both amused and irritated. When she started to speak, he cut her off.

"Couldn't wait to come back for more?" He mocked.

"Hi Kaiba-san." She greeted. "And yes, I plan to attend at least five tutoring sessions if possible. I think that will help me understand DNA well enough to pass the retest."

"You'll likely need more than five visits." He scoffed. "But whatever."

He took a seat across from her and gestured for her to slide her textbook across to him.

"If you don't want to work with me, you don't have to-" She tried.

" I know." A pause. "I just want to get this over with."

"Okay." She replied. "Well, I appreciate you working with me, Kaiba-san."  
He said nothing, looking at the page she had started reading. She wondered if he had heard her, or if he had simply chosen to ignore her. After a momentary skimming of the content in the text, Kaiba signaled for her to start taking notes.

"As discussed last time, the four bases found in DNA are . . . " Then, before continuing, he stopped himself. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Actually, you tell me. That way I'll know if you actually took the time to review the notes I gave you."

Nataki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She had studied, and she knew she could name them, but his gaze unnerved her. She could feel the weight of her response. Letting out a deep breath, she finally replied,

"The four bases in DNA are adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine."

While his expression seemed unimpressed, he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." He retorted.

Nataki swore she could sense the slightest iota of approval from him in that look he gave her, although she could have been imagining it. Whatever the case, she demonstrated her competency and sincerity. The tutoring was important to her, and she hoped that the CEO saw that she was taking his time spent working with her seriously.

"As I was saying," He began once more. "These bases are classified into two types. Adenine and guanine fuse to form five- to six-membered heterocyclic compounds, called purines. Cytosine and thymine are six-membered rings called pyrimidines." Stopping, he checked over her notes to make sure she had written down the details in her own words. He then helped her sketch the structures of both types. When Nataki kept erasing her sketch of a purine base, he let out a sound of disapproval.

"It's not going into an art museum. Just draw it as best as you can so that you understand the structural differences between them."

Nataki nodded, her face slightly flushed from embarrassment. Once she had finished her sketches, the CEO continued reading.

The remainder of the tutoring session progressed in a similar manner, with Kaiba reading and explaining the important ideas, and Nataki recording them and asking questions occasionally. At the end of the session, just as Nataki was about to pack up her things he began rattling off questions.

"What is the structure of DNA?"

"A double helix."

"How is it stabilized?"

"Um, hydrogen bonds and the way the bases are stacked together."

"How many hydrogen bonds are formed between the bases?"

"I think . . . " Nataki paused a moment, trying to recall the number while Kaiba stared at her impatiently. "Adenine and thymine form two hydrogen bonds, and guanine and cytosine form . . . three?"

"Are you asking, or is that your answer?"

"That's my answer." She stated.

"You'd be correct."

Nataki smiled contentedly.

"Lastly, which is more stable - DNA with a higher or lower guanine-cytosine-content?"

"Ah, well . . . I think DNA with a higher guanine-cytosine content."

"Why?"

"Because . . . there are more hydrogen bonds?"

The brunette nodded. "Not bad." Standing up from the table, he turned on his heel and looked out the window. Before he proceeded to walk away, Nataki was able to choke out,

"Wait, Kaiba-san!"

Abruptly, he turned and faced her. His eyes seemed to be looking through her rather than at her, and Nataki felt shaky inside. Nonetheless, she found her voice and asked,

"Would it be okay if we keep working together for tutoring?"

His face was unreadable, as were his thoughts. Nataki wondered if she had been too bold to suggest the idea, and felt the need to explain herself.

"It's just that, well, I really find your tutelage helpful." A pause. "And that way you can finish your requirement sooner because I plan to attend the next three days in a row."

Kaiba said nothing at first, at which Nataki could only hope he was considering the idea. There was really nothing he had to lose by agreeing to the proposed arrangement since he was required to complete a minimum of 10 hours, and had already completed 4 hours working with Nataki. Additionally, he knew that it would be quicker to work with her since the other students avoided him altogether. Generally speaking, Kaiba was happiest when left alone, and didn't desire any interactions with his peers. However, tutoring required working with someone, and he typically found most people uninteresting and annoying. Moreover, while Nataki wasn't exactly someone he found particularly interesting, she wasn't overly annoying either, which made it easy enough for him to work with her. Finally, he let out a sigh.

"That's fine." A pause. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." He added awkwardly before leaving the library.

"Okay, great! Thank you, Kaiba-san." She replied as she watched him disappear. While she had begun to question her own judgment, ultimately she saw the arrangement as a mutually beneficial one.

"I think it'll be fine." She thought to herself while packing up her belongings. "I mean, he really wasn't as cold as he had been yesterday." Walking through the library, she remembered his expression at her correct response to the review question he had asked before tutoring. He seemed pleasantly surprised by her accurate response, or perhaps she had read too much into it. Regardless, she smiled at the idea that he was beginning to take her seriously, and felt that she had made the right decision working with him for the remainder of the sessions. She would complete her tutoring with Kaiba, retake the biology test, and hope for the best. That's all she could do.

* * *

**A/N:** SO. MUCH. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING (WILL THE PLOT EVER COME?) The short answer is "Yes, it will come, and it is IS coming! I just feel the need to establish character relationships before the plot takes over (because then characters' interactions are 90% plot-centric).

Anddddd Kaiba's the best tutor ever . . . with his snarky remarks. :P

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback!


	7. The Fascination

**A/N:** Final filler chapter complete! Get ready for some plot :D

As always, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear from you!

* * *

"So how has the tutoring been going, Nataki-chan?" Anzu asked cheerfully while brushing back her bangs.

"It's been going really well." She replied. "I feel like I've learned so much in such a small amount of time."

"That's great." Yugi chimed in.

"Today's actually my last session." Nataki continued. "It's gone by really quickly." Her thoughts drifted back to the first tutoring session, and then caroused the other four sessions she had attended. The more she began to understand DNA, the more ambiguous she felt about the infamous CEO of Kaiba Corporation. Throughout the initial tutoring session, he had belittled her, and acted coldly and disinterested. Then, the following tutoring session, his demeanor was less biting, and he seemed more invested in the tutoring. It was then that she had proposed the idea of working together for the remainder of her tutoring. Realizing that it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, Kaiba had agreed to it. The two tutoring sessions after that, he seemed very focused, but more reserved in his overall presence, speaking only when he felt necessary to explain something or clear up a misconception she had. It had surprised her, to say the least, which he must have noticed.

"I'm releasing responsibility," He had told her flatly. "At this point, I expect _you_ to run the show and ask questions about the content in the chapter."

"All right." She had replied before she began reading silently to herself. While her eyes were scanning the page, she could sense that he was watching her carefully, as if anticipating when to interject or clarify something she hadn't understood. It had been unnerving to say the least, but Nataki tried her best to just ignore those cobalt eyes locked onto her.

"Well?" He had asked. "Any questions?"

"Um . . ." A pause. "Well, yeah."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow while he waited for her to reply.

"The text talked a lot about dsDNA and ssDNA, which made me feel a bit lost." She said slightly embarrassed.

"dsDNA has a double stranded structure - remember, it's formed from two polymer strands bound together to form a double helix." He waited a moment to make sure she had understood before continuing. "The ssDNA, or single strand, results from melting, separating the two polymer strands."

"Right." She said with a nod. "Thank you."

"What else?" He inquired.

Nataki thought about how he had checked over her notes and recommended reviewing certain sections of the text before the next day, which had progressed in a similar fashion as that one. It was strange how quickly he had seemed to reel in his derisive remarks. Nataki wondered if her sincerity had touched him in some way. Then again, she wasn't naive enough to believe that, but rather hoped it was partially true. If anything, her experiences working with him throughout tutoring had made her wonder who he really was. It startled her how quickly she had come to find Seto Kaiba an object of her fascination.

"Yo, Nat! You in there somewhere?" She heard Jounouchi ask while snapping his fingers in front of her.

"S-Sorry!" She responded apologetically. "I guess my mind started wandering."

"You've been spacing out a lot lately." He stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "What's up?"

"Is it about tutoring?" Honda inquired.

"Ah, not really." She confessed.

"Then what?"

Almost as if on cue, a certain brunette entered the classroom and took his seat in the back of the room. The gang looked over at the CEO momentarily, at which Nataki did the same. Sensing the curious group of eyes upon him, Kaiba briefly returned the gesture, silently acknowledging Nataki before dismissing her with the lot of them entirely. Nataki blinked, wondering if she had imagined it. When she realized that the gang was looking at her with interest, she got the impression that she hadn't.

"What was _that_?" Jounouchi asked rather abruptly.

"What?" Nataki shifted a bit in her seat and proceeded to take a bite of her lunch. She had purposely avoided discussing the specifics about her tutoring, namely who she was working with. She could only imagine how her friends would react, especially Jounouchi who couldn't stand Kaiba. It wasn't as if they would judge her, but rather they would be really surprised by the fact that Kaiba was actually tutoring her, which would lead to a lot of questions that Nataki didn't really want to answer. She didn't have anything to hide, but she just didn't like the attention it would attract. She remembered those curious glances from other students as she had made her way through the library with him, and with every passing session, she seemed to attract more attention. The CEO was akin to some sort of social taboo, she had come to realize.

"Kaiba-kun looked directly at _you_, Nataki-chan . . ." Anzu agreed.

"Oh, I don't know." She tried. "It seemed like he was looking over at all of us, really."

"Nah, he was _definitely_ looking at you." Honda retorted. "What should we make of that?"

Yugi seemed to notice Nataki's discomfort at the questions and interjected. "Well, maybe Kaiba-kun is just surprised at how well Kuzana-san fits into our group."

"You think?" Jounouchi wondered. "But why would he care?"

Yugi shrugged. "He probably doesn't."

"Yeah, just another "nerd in the herd," Honda said mockingly. "As he sees it, anyway."

"And the bastard wonders why he doesn't have any friends." Jounouchi spat. "Oh well, not our problem. We've tried to include him into our group before, and he wants nothing to do with us so crap on him."

Nataki looked at Yugi and smiled with gratitude. She did wonder Yugi's thoughts on the matter, though.

Once lunch was over, the rest of the day passed by rather quickly, and soon enough it was time for tutoring. Walking down to the library, Nataki felt engulfed by mixed feelings. On one hand, she was glad to finally be finished with tutoring so that she could retake the test and move forward. On the other hand, the tutoring sessions had shown her that there was likely much more to Seto Kaiba than meets the eye, and it saddened her to know that there was no reason he would have, let alone want anything to do with her after the final session. As much as she would like to talk to him as she did Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu during lunch, she wouldn't feel comfortable approaching him, especially around the gang. This weakness made her feel sick inside, and she swallowed the lump in her throat as she entered the library and made her way to the back table where he would be.

Getting out her study materials, Nataki wondered how things would have been different if she hadn't given Kaiba a second chance. She most likely would have never seen him as anything other than a cold, condescending jerk. While he certainly wasn't the kindest, most approachable person she had met since her move to Domino City, Nataki knew now that he could be decent and helpful. Seeing him approach the table interrupted her thoughts and she smiled in acknowledgement.

"So, this is it." He said casually, taking the seat across from her.

"Yes, this is it." She repeated. "I can't believe-"

"Have you been logging the hours?"

Nataki froze at his words. "What?"

"The hours for the tutoring sessions." A pause. "You haven't been documenting them?"

"I . . . didn't know." She stammered. " . . . I'm so sorry. I'll go ask my teacher for a form and-"

"I figured as much." He sighed while retrieving a completed form from his schoolbag. "I've been recording the dates and hours for each session. Just sign your name next to each one."

Her face flushed while she did as he requested. "I'm really sorry about that, Kaiba-san."

He said nothing in response, only watched her to make sure she signed everywhere she was supposed to. Once she had finished, he took back the form and placed it in his schoolbag.

"Now that we have the paperwork," She laughed sheepishly. "I guess we can get started."

While she opened her biology textbook to the last section on DNA, Nataki couldn't help feeling embarrassed by her carelessness. How could she have forgotten the sheet documenting their hours? She mentally cursed herself for being so unorganized. In the midst of her internal monologue and reading, Kaiba asked,

"What was with Yugi and the geek squad earlier?"

Nataki looked up from the text and was immediately met with his gaze from across the table. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, they got all excited when I looked over." Then, he smirked. "Especially Jounouchi. That was entertaining to see him get upset at such a simple gesture."

"Well, I guess they were just surprised."

"Because I looked over at them?"

"Because you looked over . . . at me."

A pause. "Okay. And?"

Nataki bit her bottom lip. "And I haven't exactly told anyone that I've been seeing you for tutoring."

He sat speechless for a moment, his face unreadable, and she hoped he wasn't upset.

"Why would that matter?" He inquired indolently. "It's not like I _chose_ to tutor you. It just worked out that way."

"Yeah, I know." She replied, feeling somewhat afflicted by the truthfulness behind his words, yet uncomprehending of why it was she felt that way. "I guess they just figure that you don't really talk to anyone, so it's interesting to see you take notice of someone."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Those dweebs have nothing better to do? Honestly, it's pathetic." Strumming his fingers across the table with impatience, he added. "Frankly, it seems like a waste of time to care about what someone else is doing, but perhaps that's because my time is so important I can't fathom spending it on such trivial things."

Nataki said nothing. She was surprised by his response, which revealed a noticeable hint of agitation.

"I'm sorry Kaiba-san." A slight pause. "I know this isn't something you wanted to spend your time doing, but I sincerely appreciate everything you've done to help me."

After a dismissive "Humph," Kaiba merely watched Nataki as she read. It was strange how quickly she could shut him up without meaning to, how seamlessly she could redirect his attention to something else. He had come to realize this, but didn't think too much into it. There was just something about her, he discovered, that could pique his interest, if only for a fleeting moment. What that something was he hadn't a clue, nor did he care to find out.

Once she had finished the section, he asked her to explain her confusions.

"Not too many, actually." She said triumphantly. "Just the section about measuring the stability of the dsDNA form."

Skimming over the text briefly, Kaiba provided a condensed explanation, which Nataki recorded in her own words in her notebook.

"The stability of dsDNA is influenced by the GC-content, or the percentage of guanine-cytosine base pairs, the sequence of bases, and the length of the overall molecule. To measure the stability, the most common method to use is the "melting temperature . . ." Then, staring at her expectantly, "Which is . . . ?"

"Hmm, I think it said it's the temperature at which 50% of the double-stranded molecules become single-stranded molecules."

"That's right." He stated.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily.

After a thorough review of DNA, which included content discussed throughout the previous four tutoring sessions, it had finally come to an end.

"Thank you so much, Kaiba-san." She said, bowing respectfully all the while. "I've learned so much, and I feel ready to take the retest."

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way." A pause. "I'll give you the form."

As he reached for the form, Nataki felt a wave of melancholy flow through her. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and it seemed to hit her so fast that she didn't know how to respond to it.

". . . Kaiba-san."

He said nothing as he handed her the paperwork.

"Even though the tutoring is over, I hope that we can still talk to each other."

The CEO narrowed his eyes, and Nataki knew she had said too much.

"I mean, I understand if you don't want to, or don't feel comfortable."

Turning on his heel to leave, Kaiba didn't acknowledge her. A mixture of embarrassment and sadness swirled around inside of her as she realized how foolish she had been to say such a thing. After packing her things, she proceeded toward the entrance and noticed that he was standing there with arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Good luck with everything." She said softly as she was about to pass by. Suddenly, she saw him jut his arm out in front of her and stopped. Without meeting her curious expression, he mumbled,

"I told you before - I don't give a damn about what other people think, especially not Yugi or his nerd herd."

Nataki couldn't tell for sure, but she could have sworn she saw a smirk at the derisive remark regarding Yugi and his friends. Then, he added, "Let me know how you do on the test." And with that, he walked away, leaving her speechless.


	8. Mounting Tension

"Well, this is it . . ." Nataki thought to herself as she approached her classroom teacher.

"Well, Kuzana-san, I'm happy to see that tutoring made a significant difference in your comprehension of this unit's content." He stated with a slight smile. "I hope to see a score like this one on the next unit's exam."

"I'll certainly try my best, Bosakara-sensei." She replied, bowing slightly as she retrieved her retest and proceeded back to her seat.

Once she was seated, Nataki slowly unfolded it and stared in shock with mouth agape. "Oh my god . . ."

"Well?" Haine piped up, turning to face her in one brisk turn in her seat. "How'd you do?"

"I got a . . ."

"Spit it out! The suspense is killing me!" She teased.

"90." Nataki breathed.

"Are you serious?!" Haine gasped. "That's ridiculous! There's no way you improved that much from only five tutoring sessions!" Snatching the test from Nataki's hands, Haine began to look the paper up and down, scrutinizing it. "Maybe he gave you bonus points or something?"

"Bonus points for what?" Nataki asked, feeling a bit insulted by Haine's accusation. "I mean, I'm in just as much disbelief as you, Haine-chan."

"This is . . . unbelievable." She said, finally giving the paper back to Nataki. "I mean, your grade literally increased by almost thirty points!"

Eyes narrowing in skepticism, Haine stood up from her seat and paced up and down the aisle of desks. Suddenly, she stopped and placed her hands on Nataki's shoulders. Looking her dead in the eyes, she asked, "Who tutored you?"

Nataki looked at Haine pleadingly, but knew that she wouldn't be able to dance around it as she had with Yugi and his friends. Haine was stubborn, and rather than fight a losing battle, Nataki figured she would just tell her.

" Kaiba."

A pause.

"He was the only available tutor, so I worked with him."

Then, Haine started laughing. "Yeah, right." She retorted.

"It's true." Nataki stated flatly. "He was really helpful, too."

"Wait, for real?" She spat. "You're not messing with me, are you?"

"No!" Nataki snapped back. "Why would I lie about something like that?"

Waiting a moment to respond, Haine bit her bottom lip, considering the implications if that were the truth. Then, relinquishing those thoughts added, "Well, why didn't you tell me before, dodo?"

Nataki sighed. She knew that whatever irritation had just bubbled up inside Haine had quickly simmered down because she had addressed her using one of her various "nicknames of endearment," as Haine had called them.

"I just didn't feel like it was necessary." She said finally. "I mean, it's not all that interesting, is it?"

"That's beside the point." Haine huffed while turning her back to her. "The fact that you feel the need to keep it from me makes me feel like you don't trust me or something."

Nataki swallowed the lump in her throat. She felt the sting from Haine's bluntness, and quickly reached out to place her hand on Haine's shoulder to turn her around. "I'm sorry, Haine-chan." She apologized. "I didn't mean anything by it, really."

Haine let out an exasperated sigh. "It's fine." Then, flicking Nataki on the nose, she added, "So, are you going to tell Yugi and company about your awesome grade?"

"Yes, I promised I would let them know when I found out." A pause. "You should come with me, Haine-chan." Then, retrieving her lunch, she added, "Unless you have swim practice?"

"Nah, I'm free as a bird." Grabbing her own lunch, she continued. "And it's been awhile since I ate with them, now that I think about it."

"So you'll come with me?"

"Eh, sure why not."

Smiling happily, Nataki led the way to room 2-B. As soon as they entered, Jounouchi and Honda acknowledged them with a "Yo!"

"Hey guys!" Nataki chirped while settling into a vacant desk near them.

"Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence!" Jounouchi joked.

"Hmph. Sorry I'm too busy being awesome while you shovel food into your face like a dog."

"Damn, kitty's got claws today."

"Better than being a dog who's all bark and no bite."

"Geez, chill out!" Honda interjected.

"It's okay, Honda-san." Nataki interjected. "They're just joking . . . I think."

"Well, don't joke too much." Anzu stated. "You don't want to rile up Jounouchi."

"I can handle him." Haine snorted.

"Yeah?" He asked. "All 5'2" of you?"

Yugi sighed and shook his head. "You two . . ."

"Well anyway," Haine began. "Nat has something she wants to tell you all."

Suddenly, all their eyes were fixated on her.

"Oh, well I received my retest back from Bosakara-sensei today."

"Oh yeah! How'd you do?" Jounouchi asked.

"I did a lot better than I thought. I got a 90."

The surprise was unanimous amongst the group, which was promptly replaced with congratulations.

"That's awesome, Nataki-chan!" Anzu cheered.

"Yeah, great job!" Yugi chimed in.

"Wow, talk about an improvement!" Honda added.

"Right?" Haine agreed. "And you'll never in a million years guess who tutored her!"

Nataki's eye darted over to Haine, who was oblivious of the mistake she had just made.

"Oh yeah! You never did tell us who you worked with!" Jounouchi started. "If the tutor's that good, I may have to pay him or her a visit myself!"

"Oh, I doubt you'd want to work him." Nataki couldn't help thinking to herself while wondering how to wiggle herself out of the tight spot she was in. Haine rolled her eyes.

"It's not a big deal, Nat. I'll tell them." Haine said.

"What?!" Nataki gasped. "Haine, that's not-!"

As if on cue, walked into the classroom and took his seat.

"It was him!" Haine exclaimed, pointing at Kaiba who had proceeded to bite into an apple while opening a book, completely removed from the group a few feet away.

"Kaiba?!" Jounouchi barked. "Seriously?!"

Nataki nodded, half-upset with Haine, but also half-relieved that it was finally off her chest.

"Kaiba doesn't tutor!" Jounouchi continued.

"Well, after the confrontation you two had, maybe that was part of his punishment." Anzu said flatly. "It would make sense."

Silence filled the group momentarily until Jounouchi piped up again.

"I can't believe that he'd be a good tutor." He spat.

"Well, Kaiba-kun is very intelligent." Anzu reminded.

"And strategic." Yugi added. "Really, that's all a tutor needs to be helpful."

"Well, it helps to be approachable." Honda interjected. "Kaiba's not exactly a people person."

"Not entirely true." Haine retorted. "He deals with people all the time, mainly stuffy corporate suits like himself, but also the public."

Nataki felt her head spin as the conversation continued. "This is what I trying to avoid." She thought to herself.

"What the hell are you dweebs droning on about?" the CEO snapped.

"Mind your own business, rich boy!" Jounouchi growled.

"I would if you weren't being so obnoxiously loud." He hissed.

Haine wrinkled her nose while eying up the brunette, but didn't say anything initially. Nataki, feeling embarrassed for the scene that had been made by Haine's outburst, let out a nervous laugh.

"Sorry, Kaiba-san." She apologized. "I was just talking about my score on the retest, and then things started to snowball once Haine-chan told them about . . ."

"How you tutored Nat afterschool." Haine stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "Apparently, you're pretty good at it."

"Obviously. I'm more intelligent than half the teachers in this school." He scoffed.

"Right." She replied sarcastically.

"We were just surprised that you worked with Kuzana-san." The King of Games spoke finally. Then, with a smile added, "Pleasantly surprised."

"Hmph. Like I had a choice." He snorted. His cobalt eyes darted in Nataki's direction, then returned to the group as a whole. "It's not like matters. It's over and done with. And quite frankly . . . " Leering over at Jounouchi and Honda. "If those two imbeciles hadn't pissed me off, I wouldn't have had to tutor at all."

"You started it, man!" Honda replied curtly, at which the CEO smirked.

"Well perhaps you should learn self-control." Then, sighing heavily, he stood up from his seat, closed his book, and turned on his heel to leave. "You've wasted enough of my lunch." With that, he proceeded toward the classroom door.

Just as he disappeared into the hallway, Nataki took off after him, ignoring the surge of comments from the group. When she emerged into the hallway, she saw him rounding the corner and called out to him.

"Kaiba-san, wait!"

Much to her surprise, he did stop, although he remained standing with his back facing her.

As she made her way over toward him, she couldn't help noticing other students in the hallway looking over at her with curiosity. Each step felt like an immense leap to her as more and more eyes locked onto her. The constant attention she attracted by interacting with Kaiba seemed suffocating. Suddenly, she began to question what she was doing. Why did she follow him in the first place? Oh, right . . .

Once she had reached him, she smiled and held up her paper. "I wanted to tell you that I got a 90 on the retest."

She waited a moment for him to acknowledge her, but for some reason she couldn't understand why he wouldn't look at her.

"Great." Kaiba said finally in a lackluster tone. "Bye."

With that, he disappeared down the hall. Nataki couldn't help feeling taken aback by his response. Wasn't he the one who mentioned wanting to know her score? Something had changed, and what that something was she hadn't a clue, but it still left her feeling hurt regardless. As she made her way back into the classroom to finish lunch with Haine and the others, she wondered how he was even able to make her feel disappointed. Had she unknowingly created expectations of him? Even so, what was there to base her expectations on? Kaiba had been a mere stranger to her almost two months ago, and now he was little more than that. He had been her tutor for five days, that was all, but somehow she had anticipated more, but what, exactly? A friend, or at the very least an acquaintance? Exhaling, Nataki smiled sadly.

"I have myself to blame for expecting more than I should have."

Then, swallowing the sadness, she returned to the group for the remainder of the lunch period. It had been much quieter.

The night seemed to drag on as Nataki took a longer shift at the cafe in which she worked. Because tutoring had reduced her hours, she promised to make up any missed time she normally worked. Customers were scarce as the hours passed by, so she spent most of the evening helping with the cleaning.

"I hate when there aren't many customers." A female coworker piped up. "I'd rather deal with a grumpy customer than clean this place from top to bottom."

"Tell me about it." Another one agreed. Then, turning to Nataki who had been silent much of the evening, she said, "Hey, quit scrubbing so much! You're gonna make us look lazy, Nataki-san."

"Sorry, Mayune-san." She sighed. "Keeping busy just keeps my mind from wandering."

"Well, what's so bad about that?" She huffed. "I say let it wander! Think about something good to make the time pass faster."

"Yeah, that's what I do." The other waitress nodded.

"I'll try." Nataki said softly, but her thoughts always returned to Kaiba. It made her stomach feel sick inside, or maybe that was the cleaner she was using? Whatever the case, more than anything, she just wanted to go home, sleep, and awake recharged to start the next day.

When it was time to close the cafe, Nataki helped lock up before saying goodnight to her coworkers and boss. As she was walking back to her apartment complex, she seemed a bit out of sorts. The moon was hidden from sight behind thick, dreary clouds, and the stars seemed duller than usual. She kept walking all the while, with the only sound filling the air her somewhat unsteady footsteps.

Nataki yawned and kept walking, wondering if she was still going in the right direction. She had walked back to her apartment many times before, but not quite so late at night. Everything looked foreign in the darkness, even alleyways and street signs she passed every morning. Stopping shortly to collect herself and make sure she was almost back at the apartment complex, Nataki reached inside her purse to grab her phone and check. All of the sudden, she saw a silhouette emerge from what seemed like nowhere. She felt something heavy plow into her, sending her spiraling onto the ground dazed and disoriented. Before she could react, she saw a shadowy figure bolting away with her purse in hand.

"Hey, give that back!" She shouted while forcing herself up to pursue her attacker. "Stop!"

Feeling a sudden pain in her thigh, but somehow finding the strength to break into a sprint, Nataki ran in the direction of the offender. Despite her efforts, the culprit was nowhere to be found.

"Oh no, what do I do?" She screamed internally while running up and down every alleyway she came across.

She caught a sudden, bright explosion of light in a nearby backstreet from the corner of her eye, and proceeded in the direction of it. When she entered, she found what she assumed was the perpetrator lying unconscious on the ground with her purse placed a few feet away from him on the concrete. From what she could see, there was no blood or weapon. Feeling a chill run down her spine, she quickly snatched her purse off the ground and hurried out of there. She didn't look back; she just kept running as fast as her legs could carry her, all the while sensing someone or something following her from a distance. Finally reaching the apartment complex, she realized that she hadn't even checked her purse to see if anything had been stolen. Her mind in a frenzy, she groped around for her key to unlock the door that would serve as a barrier from whatever was chasing her. Feeling the crisp card key between her fingers, she pulled it out and swiped it in a instant. The red light blinked before illuminating in green, and she practically threw herself into her apartment, applying both sets of locks immediately after. Panting heavily, Nataki ran into the bathroom, locked the door, and sank down into the tub, where she cried softy until she fell asleep.


	9. Newcomer

It had been about a week since the incident had occurred, but the fear it had invoked in Nataki had lingered. She had considered talking to Haine about it, but thought that it would probably be best not to drag anyone else into it. It was an isolated incident, and would unlikely happen again. But just to be sure, Nataki had spoke with her employer about resuming an earlier shift to avoid leaving quite so late. She hoped that she wouldn't have any more run-ins with thieves or other offenders on her long walks home, and much to her relief she didn't. However, Nataki never felt completely alone when walking home since the incident. Every night, she swore she could hear the faintest of footsteps every so often, and out of the corner of her eye she had seen, or at least imagined seeing a slender, tall silhouette. However, the figure had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She had tried calling out, but received no response. Perhaps it was just her fear of another attack leading her to believe there was someone following? Had she become neurotic? She certainly hoped not. It was hard to make heads or tails of the situation, and it gnawed at her internally. School had become the only place Nataki felt truly safe, which often led her to succumb to her sleep deprivation.

As the bell rang to signal lunch, Nataki crossed her arms over her desk and lowered her head onto them. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard a loud smack on her desk. She bolted up only to find Haine staring at her with concern.

"Hey Nat, what gives?"

"What?" She blinked, fighting the urge to collapse onto her desk again.

"You've been falling asleep a lot lately . . . " Haine stated flatly. Then, whispering into her ear, asked, "Did you pick up more hours at work or something?"

"No, I actually have an earlier shift now." She replied indolently. "I get out around nine-thirty."

"You could've fooled me." A pause. "So, why are you so tired?"

"Truth be told, I haven't been getting that much sleep." Nataki sighed. "I've been having weird dreams."

"Oh?" Suddenly, Haine shot her a crooked smile. "What about?"

When Nataki didn't answer right away, she added "A certain tutor, perhaps?"

"What?!" She gasped. If Haine's intent had been to startle her awake, it had been very successful. "No! Why would you . . . ?"

After a hearty laugh, Haine patted Nataki on the head playfully. "Relax, I was only kidding." Then, raising an eyebrow, she added, "Though it may be argued that your reaction supports it."

"Or that it's so far from the truth it's shocking."

Haine shrugged and began twirling an auburn strand around her finger. "Well, anyway, you never answered my question."

"Oh." Nataki brushed her raven bangs back from her dark eyes. "Right." After standing up to stretch her legs, she peered outside. Smiling, she gestured for Haine to follow her as she grabbed her lunch and headed to the soccer field.

Once they were seated on the bleachers, Nataki ate some of her bento before continuing her conversation with Haine. "It's really bizarre."

"Aren't most dreams like that?" Then, looking out at the students engaged in a scrimmage, she continued. "One time, I dreamt that I was a chili pepper, and this person was going to pick me off a chili pepper plant. I warned him that I was really spicy, and he didn't listen. He took one bite of me, and ran for the hills screaming like a little girl."

"I guess you were just too hot for him to handle, Haine-chan." Nataki chuckled.

"Probably." Then, taking another bite of her bento, she said, "But that's nothing new. Back to your weird dream."

"Well, it's always nighttime. And I'm usually walking home."

"Spooky." Haine noted. "Go on."

"And even though I am alone, I feel like I'm being followed. I try to go faster, but so does the . . . other person. I'm not even sure if it is a person, but I think it is."

"You know, chase dreams are really common." Haine crossed her legs and turned to face her with a completely serious expression. "Like, really, really common. Running away from whatever it is that's following you means that you're actually running away from an issue or a person in reality." Then, with a somewhat bored look, she shrugged. "Or maybe not. I only paid attention half the time in psychology. You could just be freaked out by something you saw on television or heard on the news, maybe without even realizing it."

Nataki pondered this for a moment. While she had almost been a victim of robbery, she had never actually been pursued by her attacker. Her fear, then, did seem a bit farfetched. But she knew better than to not trust her instincts - someone had been following her the night of the incident, this much she truly believed. But the other nights . . . she had no proof or evidence to support such an assertion. Maybe Haine was right. Although it had been just two months since she had relocated and started her new life in Domino City, Nataki still felt the weight of balancing school, work, and socializing. And of course, she was still trying to teach herself how to play Duel Monsters. Perhaps the real thing she was running away from was her fear of living so far from everything she had come to know as her home. Furubira was a little over seven hours away by bus, but it seemed light years away.

"You may be right, Haine-chan." Then, Nataki closed her eyes and relished the gentle breeze. "Goodness, I just love June weather."

Haine smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty great." Then, placing a hand on Nataki's shoulder, she added, "Don't worry, kid. You're doing fine."

Taken aback by her kind words, Nataki reached for Haine and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Haine-chan. That's just what I needed to hear." Then, she felt Haine reach an arm around her to return the gesture without saying a word. After packing up, they returned to the classroom.

After school, just as Nataki was about to leave for work, she saw Yugi, Anzu, Jonouchi, and Honda waiting by the school entrance. She walked up to them and waved.

"Hey, Nat-chan!" Anzu exclaimed. "Where were you today?"

"Yeah, we missed you at lunch!" Jonouchi added.

"By which he means your cooking." Honda joked. "But we all miss that."

Nataki chuckled slightly at the remark before replying.

"Sorry I missed eating lunch with you all. I got . . . caught up with some things."

"No worries." Yugi said with a small smile.

"I wish I could stay and chat with you guys more, but I have to get going."

"Ah, right!" Anzu remarked, instantly remembering what Nataki had told her about switching to an earlier shift at Momo no Ki* Cafe. "We'll talk more tomorrow!"

"Definitely!" Nataki replied as she headed past them. Then, turning on her heel before disappearing out of their sight, she shouted "Until then!"

Work went by quickly, and before she realized it Nataki was heading home. In the midst of her long walk home, she felt more relaxed. Maybe it was something Haine had said? Either way, as she made her way down the dimly lit streets, Nataki was determined to get over the fear that had come to plague her. She kept her eyes fixated on what was ahead of her, only occasionally casting a glance to look around. When her apartment complex came into view, she felt relieved - not a single silhouette spotted along the way.

"I must have been imagining it . . . " She thought to herself before unlocking the door to her apartment and shutting herself inside.

Morning arrived after the first night of restful sleep Nataki had experienced since her fear had consumed her. She stretched her arms above her head and inhaled deeply, taking in the day ahead. As she proceeded to carry out her morning routine, Nataki had a feeling that the day ahead would be a good one. She couldn't explain the feeling, but that mattered little. After doing a once over in the mirror, adjusting the ribbons around her raven pigtails, she was ready to go.

Upon arriving at school, Nataki noticed that there was a lot of commotion. While walking to class, she could hear fragments of conversations, and as she pieced them together she tried to imagine what had sparked the sudden wave of excitement and curiosity. When she reached her room, she saw Haine sitting with a group of classmates. She gestured for Nataki to join her.

"Hey, Nat."

"Good morning, Haine-chan." She replied congenially.

"So, did you hear?" She began. "About the new transfer student that'll be in our class?"

Nataki blinked. So that was what all the commotion was about.

"No, but that certainly explains the hubbub."

"It's so weird, right? I mean, it's so late in the first term."

Nataki thought about it and realized that Haine was right. It was halfway through June, and the first term ended the second week in July. Even so, it didn't seem that odd when considering how life circumstances could lead to such an occurrence.

When the teacher entered the room, the clusters dissipated as students returned to their desks. After greeting the collective bunch, he added,

"I have an announcement."

Silence filled the room.

"We have a new student transferring into our class who will be joining us for the remainder of the school year. Please give her a warm welcome."

Suddenly, with unmatched grace and poise in walked the new student. Nataki watched the girl with interest rivaling that of her peers as she made her way to the chalkboard, wrote her name, and returned to facing them. Without any prompting from the teacher, she proceeded to introduce herself.

"Hello. My name is Shizukami, Akana. I've just recently moved here from Tokyo. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." With this, she gave a polite bow and looked out at the class with complacency.

Nataki couldn't help noticing how calm and collected the girl was, or how effortless her entrance had seemed. Recalling her first day meeting the class, she remembered the hours she had spent rehearsing what she wanted to say and the way in which she would say it, wanting to make the best possible first impression. Yet, somehow this girl didn't seem the slightest bit phased by the whole ordeal. While she tried not to stare, Nataki felt almost entranced by the newcomer, whose eyes and hair seemed to have been spun from the sun's rays. Ridiculous, she knew, but there was just something eerily beautiful about her. The whole class seemed mesmerized, really, which was evident in the slur of exasperation they let out when looking at her. Before Nataki could continue dawdling in her thoughts, she noticed the girl staring in her direction. Her expression was unreadable, almost blank, and yet somehow there was a level of intensity in it too, as if trying to read her thoughts. The look made Nataki uncomfortable, which the girl had likely noticed, for she had began to peer around at the rest of the students, but with feigned interest. The whole class seemed mystified by her, like she was an exotic creature from a distant land.

"Very nice to meet you, Shizukami-san. You're welcome to take the vacant seat in the back."

"Thank you, Bosakara-sensei." She replied politely. The class clapped and welcomed her as she sat down in the vacant desk in the opposite corner of the room from where Nataki was seated. She made no further efforts to look in Nataki's direction as she retrieved a notebook and pen from her bag to start taking notes

A sudden tap on Nataki's shoulder led her to turn around only to find Haine shooting her a quizzical expression.

"What was _that_?" She gawked.

"What do you mean?"

"That look she gave you . . . "

Nataki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Was it that noticeable?" She thought to herself. Then, replying to Haine, she said, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe she thought I looked familiar? We've all done that."

"Nah, I didn't get that vibe." A pause. "It was like . . . I don't know. Very probing or something. Did it feel that way to you?"

Nataki felt herself sink in her seat a bit at the thought. "A little." Then, she added, "But maybe she wasn't looking _at_ me, but rather _through_ me, you know?"

" No, she was definitely looking _at_ you."

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Nataki let out a sigh and returned to facing the board. She hadn't imagined it - Haine had felt it too, the sharpness of the gaze the girl had cast in her direction. What was that all about? She figured it wasn't worth reading into anymore and pushed those thoughts aside.

* * *

**A/N:** Soooo here's chapter 9! PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND IF YOU ENJOYED IT . . that is all :D

*Momo no Ki = Peach Tree


	10. Ambiguities Arise

Lunchtime arrived as it always did, but instead of grabbing her bento and heading upstairs to room 2-B to meet Yugi and the gang as she usually did, Nataki decided to break the uncomfortable ice that had formed between her and the new student. Her own recollection of moving to Domino City just over a mere three months ago still came to mind with much clarity.

"After that look she gave you?" Haine scoffed. "Nat, you're either too nice, or too foolish."

"I remember feeling a bit apprehensive when I first transferred here." She replied. "And you 'took me under your wing' so to speak . . . everyone could use someone like that."

Haine raised an eyebrow in protest. "You think she needs someone to look out for her?" She asked before gesturing to the new student with a quick flick of her head.

Nataki casually glanced in the direction Haine had indicated and noticed that many of her peers had formed a crowd around her. Much to her surprise, the girl seemed dispassionate to the enthusiasm that she had stirred among the people in the room. In fact, she looked almost bored by the attention.

"I suppose not . . . but I would like to get to know her." Nataki concluded before standing up from her seat and proceeding over toward her.

"Geez, hold up!" Haine exclaimed while following close behind.

Upon reaching her, the crowd seemed to open up slightly. Nataki couldn't help noticing how beautiful the girl was – far from anything she'd ever seen before: hair that looked like it had been spun from the sun's rays of light; eyes the same hue sharp with scrutiny and tinged with the smallest bit of interest; pursed lips that curved into a very slight smile at noticing her approaching.

"Hi there, Shizukami-san." She began. "I'm Kuzana, Nataki. And this is Suzude, Haine. It's very nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, surely." She replied with the normative politeness.

"I'm looking forward to working together during the rest of the school year." Nataki added. "By the way, I think that's really cool that you moved from Tokyo! I've heard that it's beautiful at night with all of the neon lights and skyscrapers."

"Quite, actually." She agreed. "But living in a metropolitan area loses its luster after awhile. I much prefer the less crowded cities. Domino seems a much better fit for me."

"I can see that." Nataki nodded. "Even Domino City seems overwhelming at times to me. I grew up in a much more rural setting, so the hustle and bustle of city life gets exhausting after a while."

"Why move here then?" She asked suddenly.

Nataki paused a moment. It wasn't so much what she had asked, but rather how she had asked it that caused Nataki to stop short. Haine even noticed the abruptness of the question and shot the newcomer a speculative look.

"Well, I suppose that . . . as much as Furubira means a lot to me, and I do miss it quite often, I wanted to venture out into the world and start making a life for myself." She smiled. "There are so many opportunities here that Furubira just doesn't offer, and I believe that self-discovery happens when you leave what you know behind and carry an open mind as you experience new things."

Haine stood in silence, taken aback by the sincerity behind her words. "Wow, Nat. You're something else, you know that?" She smirked while smacking her playfully on the back.

Akana said nothing for a moment before finally acknowledging Nataki. "It seems you are a very . . . introspective person, Kuzana-san." Then, with a slight smile she added, "I look forward to getting to know you more." And with that, she stood up and disappeared into the hallway, which led a few of her classmates to follow after her with more questions and things to say.

Nataki's heart fluttered at her words before realizing she hadn't asked her to join Haine and herself for lunch. _Oh well . . . maybe next time._

As if reading her thoughts, Haine tapped her on the shoulder. "So . . . table for two?"

Nataki chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Here? Or with Yugi and the others?"

"Here is fine." Nataki acquiesced.

"Well, it seems like she likes you well enough . . ." Haine insisted. "Don't know what that look was for though."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Nataki replied as she took a bite of her lunch. "I feel better now."

"Good."

Nataki was thoughtful while she continued to eat with Haine. While she was listening to Haine talk about her next swim meet, her mind kept wandering back to the newcomer. There was definitely something very unique about her . . . or maybe she was overthinking it? While she had seemed pleasant in manner, Nataki couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off. She was something akin to a dream – impossibly real, but also somehow familiar. Congenial, but contained in her demeanor. Pleasant, but purposeful in her conversation. Speaking with her had left Nataki feeling less anxious, but also . . . odd.

Haine must have noticed her attention had shifted, and snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Huh?"

"Did you hear what I said?" Haine queried while raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, um, yes. You have a swimming match today against Kiseki High today." She said softly. "Good luck Haine-chan! I know you'll do great!"

"Yeah, thanks . . ." Haine replied, not quite convinced that Nataki had been listening throughout the entirety of the conversation.

"I wish I could watch you, but I have to leave right away to go 'you-know-where.'"

"Eh, it's not a big deal." She shrugged. "Maybe next time."

"I promise I'll come see you soon." Nataki added. "I bet you swim like a dolphin!"

"Pssh, I'm not that good." Haine spat. "But thanks for thinking it."

Nataki shot her a playful smile before continuing her lunch. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the transfer student return to the room and sit down at her desk. She shot Nataki a curious glance before turning away and retrieving a book from her schoolbag.


	11. An Interesting Introduction

**A/N:** Well things are starting to move now! From this point on, filler chapters will be sparce, and the chapters will start weaving the plot! I'm eager to hear your thoughts - please take a moment to leave a review! And as always, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Each day, while Nataki ventured to become better acquainted with the mysterious Shizukami, Akana, it seemed more and more students sought to do the same. To put it bluntly, her arrival had created an ambiance of curiosity and fascination throughout much of the school. Even many of the second and third year students had come to find her intriguing. Add to that the student body who knew of her from her modeling photographs that had appeared in some of the most popular magazines in circulation, and it seemed only natural to expect such hubbub to be made over her.

Not that Akana cared for any of it – she had made that especially clear through her dismissive body language and bland replies to her peers' interest and excitement. Nataki had become particularly aware of this – there hadn't been many interactions between the two of them that didn't involve an awkward pause, or a moment where Nataki's flame of enthusiasm had been seemingly snuffed out by an abrupt or disinterested response. She had learned not to take it personally – that was just who Akana was, just as she had become accustomed to Haine's somewhat abrasive and intrusive personality.

When the bell finally rang to announce the start of lunch, Nataki made her way over to Akana's desk to find her face already buried inside a book. As had become routine, she tapped Akana on the shoulder and smiled.

"Would you like to eat lunch with me, Shizukami-san?" She asked.

With a quick motion, Akana had removed the book from her face and closed it without placing a bookmark or any other page holder inside. Nataki marveled at how she always remembered where she left off. Her golden eyes peered up at Nataki with a lustrous sheen, and her hair gracefully swung out as she stood up from her desk.

"Sure." She replied softly.

Nataki smiled and gestured for her to grab her lunch and follow her, which led Akana to raise her eyebrow in earnest curiosity.

"I was thinking . . ." She began, her dark blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "That maybe you'd like to meet some more of my friends?"

"Ah, is that where you go every other day?" Akana inquired.

"Yes, that's right!" Nataki exclaimed. "They're really nice, and I'll bet they can't wait to meet you!"

"Well then, shall we Kuzana-san?" She asked while walking into the hallway.

Nataki had been anticipating this moment since she first made Akana's acquaintance. Ever since she had mentioned Akana's arrival as a transfer student in her class, Yugi and company had been eager to meet her. Then again, Nataki's fascination with her, combined with the curiosity other students had about her, made it difficult not to be caught up in the wave of wonder.

As Nataki made her way up to 2-B, she felt as if all eyes were on her . . . well, not her per say, but rather the company that walked calmly alongside of her clutching a bento. While she hardly ever seemed phased, let alone interested in the attention she commanded, Nataki wondered if Akana had truly become immune to the hype. She imagined that being a model almost required a high degree of poise and distance from the eyes of those watching, lest it would grown unnerving.

_I wonder if she ever feels uncomfortable from all of those eyes watching her all the time? _Nataki wondered.

She looked over at Akana, whose gaze seemed fixated straight ahead of her, but distant somehow.

"Well, we're here." She said finally while sliding open the door and stepping inside, Akana slinking in behind her like a shadow.

Before she could even point them out, she heard Jounouchi's loud voice blurt out, "Hey, Nat! Over here!"

"Hi Jounouchi-kun!" She replied, then noticing the rest of the gang, extended the greeting. "Yugi-kun, Anzu-chan, Honda-kun, it's great to see all of you!'

As she neared their desks, she gasped at noticing Kaiba seated at his desk reading, a lone orange sitting atop it. She smiled. "It's good to see you too, Kaiba-san. It's been awhile." Then, after a slight pause, she continued. "I imagine work has been keeping you fairly busy."

Cobalt eyes looked up from the text and acknowledged her briefly. With a swift motion, he bent the top corner of the page ever so faintly and closed the book.

"Quite." Then, he added "It makes more sense that I should delegate the majority of my time to something . . . productive, doesn't it? School hardly seems necessary compared to my other obligations at this point, but a requirement is a requirement."

Nataki nodded, having become used to his curt replies. "Of course." Then, she turned to face Akana, who had been approached by a group of students in the class and had been trying to politely disengage from their conversation. Nataki excused herself and interrupted them. "I just need to borrow her for a minute." She said with a wink, at which the other students proceeded to give the captivating Akana some space. Then, they made their way back over to Yugi and the others.

"Guys, this is Shizukami, Akana. She's the new student who transferred into our class recently."

Almost instantaneously, the four friends gawked at Akana. Whatever they had been imagining her to be was clearly different from the girl standing before them. Anzu, who tended to be the icebreaker in situations like this, spoke up first and introduced herself.

"It's great to meet you, Shizukami-san." She began. "Nat-chan has told us all about you."

With a curious glance, gold eyes shifted their gaze to Nataki, who was chuckling sheepishly, a delicate blush on her cheeks.

"Has she now?" Then, while twirling a golden lock of hair around her index finger, continued. "Yet I know so little about each of you. I hope to change that soon." She stated with a cordial smile.

"Yeah, you're that model!" Jounouchi spoke up suddenly. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere! It feels so weird to see you in person instead of in a magazine!"

"I'm sure." Akana replied flatly, bored by the sheer redundancy of it all, but not uncomprehending of his exclamation. Most males knew of her solely because of her modeling career – nothing new there.

"You're really beautiful!" Honda interjected, blushing slightly. "I mean, your photos always stood out from the rest . . . to me, anyway."

"I . . . appreciate that." Akana tried politely. "And I'm glad you . . . enjoyed them."

Yugi was immediately embarrassed by his two male companions, who seemed clueless as to how to make a respectful, proper first impression. Feeling the need to break up the sad excuse for an introduction, he began "Please excuse Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun. They mean well."

Akana smiled faintly as she turned to face the King of Games. When she caught a glimpse of the gold pyramid hanging around his neck, however, the smile faded. Nataki noticed a tiny, but distinguishable flicker of apprehension appear in her eyes upon noticing the object. Yugi could sense that something had changed in Akana's demeanor as well, and meekly added. "I'm Mutou, Yugi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shizukami-san."

As quickly as it had appeared, the tiny glimpse of tension left her gaze, and her eyes became softer.

"Ah, yes . . . the pleasure is mine, Mutou-san. Or do you prefer King of Games?" She inquired honestly.

"No formalities necessary." He said in a subtle voice.

"Hmm, it seems your modesty precedes your majesty." She said with a tone of implication. "Interesting."

"Well, we'd love for you to join us for lunch!" Anzu chimed in. "If you'd like to, of course. No pressure."

"I would, thank you."

Nataki smiled cheerfully at seeing how her friends had taken to Akana. _I feel like I'm on cloud nine._

That feeling was fleeting, however, as Jounouchi piped up. "Hey Kaiba, aren't you going to introduce yourself to Nat's friend over here?"

And all at once Nataki saw it – a blood curdling look on Akana's face as her eyes locked onto the CEO's. All at once Akana's body, usually so poised and seemingly unaffected by anything around her, tensed, her teeth clenched in her jaw, and her fingers curled into her hand, making a loose fist. No words were said – there hadn't been a chance for any exchange. It all happened so fast that Nataki barely had time to register what had happened until it was over.

"Excuse me." The words has passed between Akana's supple lips in almost a hiss as she stood up, grabbed her bento, and left the room.

"Shizukami-san?" Nataki breathed as she proceeded to follow her – she had never seen the girl look so overtly appalled. _And she didn't even try to hide it . . . _

As she stepped out into the hallway, Nataki grimaced – Akana was nowhere to be seen.


	12. Feeling Surrounded by Strangers

Nataki stood a moment longer in the hallway as she struggled to process what had just happened. Biting her lip, she debated whether or not to go searching for the girl.

_I hope Shizukami-san is okay . . . _She thought to herself. _She looked so upset._

"Nat!" Jounouchi called while walking over to her. "What are you doing?"

Nataki blinked as the world around her came back into focus. She couldn't help noticing Jounouchi's brown eyes staring down at her, his expression troubled. It had just occurred to her that she had practically fled the scene in pursuit of the girl, leaving behind Jounouchi and the rest of the gang without so much as a 'See you later!'

"Ah, I'm sorry Jounouchi-kun." She replied, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "That was rather rude of me."

"Nah, don't worry about it." He smiled reassuringly. "Just wanted to make sure _you_ were okay. Your friend flipped a switch or something, and we wanted to make sure you weren't upset or anything."

Nataki smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for worrying you all." With a sigh, she added "Well, lunch isn't over yet."

Jounouchi smirked. "Yeah, and it looked like you brought more gyoza!" Then, with a wink, he continued. "And I just so happen to know of a certain someone who would _love_ to sample one . . . if you're okay with it."

Nataki giggled softly and nodded. "Of course."

As they reentered the classroom, Nataki noticed Yugi and company still seated at their desks, lunches untouched. When Anzu saw them return she smiled and waved. "Hey you two!" A pause. "Everything all right?"

Nataki nodded, but felt a lump form in her throat. In all honesty, she had no idea, and wouldn't until she was able to ask the girl about it. Jounouchi must have sensed her unease and interjected. "Yeah, just starving to death." Then, while reaching for Nataki's bento he added, "But Nat's agreed to give me one of her gyoza, so it's all good."

Honda's eyes lit up as he saw Jounouchi reach for one, and he shot Nataki a pleading look.

"Of course, you're all welcome to try them." She laughed sheepishly.

"Score!" Honda cheered as he tried to wrestle her bento from Jounouchi's grasp.

"Geez! With you two eating her food all the time Nat-chan's going to waste away to nothing!" Anzu chided while shaking her head in disgust at their behavior.

"Well, what would you expect from two mongrels pulled off the streets?" Kaiba snorted derisively.

At hearing him speak Nataki's attention immediately shifted in his direction. The CEO was sitting sideways in his seat, his arms and legs crossed as if he sat in judgment of the collective group. At noticing her eyes on him, Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Um, nothing . . . sorry." Nataki replied awkwardly. She couldn't help wondering why the girl had seemed so upset. Had Kaiba said or done something mean to her? While he certainly wasn't what Nataki would consider an amiable person, he didn't seem like the vindictive type either. He could be rude, of course, and sometimes come across as being dispassionate, but not cruel. Nataki stared down at her hands folded on her lap. _I suppose I don't really know him all that well, but I know Shizukami-san even less. I honestly don't know how to feel about the situation . . ._

Returning her attention to the group, she gasped slightly upon noticing that he was still looking at her.

_Has he been staring at me the whole time?_ She wondered while trying to hide her sudden spell of discomfort, twirling a strand of her raven hair around her finger.

"If you're thinking I've wronged that friend of yours in some way, you're mistaken." He stated flatly.

"Well, her reaction certainly didn't give that impression." Jounouchi spoke up. "She seemed like she recognized you from somewhere."

"Hmph, of course mutt. _I'm_ a major international business icon and top-rate duelist. There are more people that do recognize me than don't." Then, narrowing his eyes, he added "That doesn't necessarily mean _I_ would know _her_."

"What about her modeling career?" Anzu inquired. "I mean, she's involved in a lot of marketing photography. Perhaps you hired her to advertise one of your products before and you just don't remember her?"

Cobalt eyes stared her down for a moment. "Like I would forget a woman like _that_."

Nataki instantly picked up on the tone he had used and the manner in which he had referred to her friend. It sounded derogatory, and it didn't settle well with her. "What do you mean by 'a woman like _that,' _Kaiba-san?" Her mouth felt dry, and she could feel her palms start to sweat, but she continued. "Do you really know enough about Shizukami-san to make such a comment?"

Surprise flickered in his cobalt eyes at her quick response. He read her features well – it was impossible not to notice how uncomfortable she was at challenging him like this, and yet she did. _Interesting._

"Don't misunderstand me, Kuzana." He retorted in a solid tone. "I'm simply suggesting that a woman as . . . _unique_ as her wouldn't go unnoticed by me." He raised an eyebrow. "Especially if she has such a strong antipathy toward me as she seems to." Then, he continued. "And if I may, you seem terribly . . . defensive of her, which seems odd to me, considering you met her quite recently yourself." Seeing how his words were affecting her – preventing her from talking back – he decided to strike her out, and end the conversation with "So it would seem that even _you_ don't really know that much about her, if I'm not mistaken?"

Yugi could see Nataki absorbing Kaiba's words, which may as well have been poison based on the reaction of speechlessness he had elicited from her. Jounouchi and Honda had stopped eating, their eyes fixated on Kaiba, as were Anzu's. Feeling the need to interject, Yugi began "None of us know much about her, Kaiba-kun, let alone why she reacted how she did." Then with a soft smile, he looked at Nataki. "But it may be just a misunderstanding. Either way, I don't think badly of her. I have no basis to think such a thing . . . none of us do."

Nataki smiled. "Thanks Yugi-kun.." Then, looking at the rest of the gang, "Thanks you guys."

With a 'Hmph.' the CEO proceeded to return to reading his book, and everyone resumed eating their lunch. As small talk emerged, Nataki sat quietly and tried to eat her lunch, but her stomach felt uneasy from the tension she had unintentionally created. Sometimes she felt like she knew things, but was reminded time and time again that, in reality, she knew very little about anyone or anything. Kaiba made no bones about making that clear when she tried to understand others, including him. As she took a bite of her sushi she wondered if she ever truly would know who he was, and why she still cared to know in the first place.


	13. A Fresh Start

The next day, Nataki felt the lump return in her throat at noticing that the girl was absent. She could practically feel her stomach churn, her mind still spinning from the whole thing. While she knew it was none of her business, Nataki couldn't help seeking an answer to the matter. After filling Haine in with the details, the two sat during lunch and mulled over possible explanations.

"I would assume she's not alone in disliking him." Haine shrugged. "The man's not exactly a charmer, and he acts like a jerk most of the time. That's bound to burn bridges." She said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I know." Nataki agreed. "And yet, it was too strong of a reaction to be that. It seemed like something personal, but he said he didn't recognize her at all." She sighed while pushing her cherry tomatoes around her bowl of salad.

"Well of course, the man's got his head up his own ass so far he can't see the light of day." Haine scoffed indignantly.

Nataki sat quietly for a moment before responding. "No, he's too perceptive though . . ." She shifted in her seat at remembering how he had stared her down. "He doesn't miss much."

Haine started strumming her fingers along on the desk with a 'Ho-hum' expression. Clearly, she was losing interest in being a detective. She sighed before finally ending with "Maybe she just doesn't like him or something, or maybe he looks like someone else she hates."

Nataki blinked as Haine stood up, took one final bite of her apple, and tossed the remaining core into the garbage. "Don't stress too much over it, okay? You have your own crap to worry about – don't take on other people's crap too, because if you do then you'll be trying to put-"

"Ten pounds of stuff into a five pound bag, I know." She interjected.

"Pssh, would it kill you to cuss a little?" Haine mocked while playfully flicking one of Nataki's pigtails as she walked by. "Might make you a little more human."

Nataki rolled her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind." Then, with a wave added, "Have a good swim practice."

"Yeah, yeah . . ." She chuckled. "I will."

* * *

Lunchtime was only halfway over, and Nataki's unease left her feeling the need to get some fresh air. Without a second thought, she packed up her lunch and proceeded outside to the soccer field. She had gone there with Haine on a handful of occasions when she wanted space from the school atmosphere, which seemed to smother her when she felt like this. Seating herself on a bleacher, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The sun felt comforting as it radiated onto her pale skin, and she smiled to herself. _I guess I just needed some fresh air._

Nataki was so immersed in the calm around her that she neglected to notice Kaiba sitting on the top bleacher.

"I didn't know you came here."

Nataki slowly opened her eyes and gasped upon noticing him. "Kaiba-san! I didn't expect to see you here either."

At noticing her tense, he raised an eyebrow. "This is one of the few quiet places at school where I can concentrate on work without the nerd herd distracting me." He retorted. "And you're generally never alone. Usually that short, obnoxious friend of yours follows you like a shadow."

Nataki shot him a tired look as she corrected him. "You mean Yugi-kun, Jounouchi-kun, Anzu-chan, Honda-kun, and Haine-chan."

Kaiba looked at her boredly. "That's what I said." A pause as he closed his laptop. "Are you still mulling over what happened yesterday?"

Nataki didn't say anything. Truth be told, she didn't need to – her eyes, clouded over doubt and worry gave him the answer. Somehow, seeing her sitting there quietly, suffering in silence, annoyed him. Slowly, he made his way down from the top bleacher and sat down a few feet away from her, folding his arms across his chest and looking out at the soccer field. There was a scrimmage going on, and he looked on with subtle interest. He knew if he waited long enough she would eventually start talking.

Nataki looked out at the practice game too, watching in silence as the players with red netted vests tried to score against the opposing team. Part of her wished he would just leave her be, and yet the other part of her was curious as to why he was staying and didn't actually want him to go. She sighed louder than she meant to and finally looked over at him. As if sensing her gaze, he turned to face her, his cobalt eyes staring at her expectantly.

"I just don't understand you, Kaiba-san." She said finally. "You're a bag of contradictions."

Kaiba scoffed at her word choice, but didn't say anything.

"Ever since I met you, I didn't know what to think. At first, you seemed annoyed by me. You weren't that nice during the first tutoring session, then you started to seem less annoyed and more genuine in helping me do well on my retest. You even asked me to let you how I did on the retest. I was so excited to tell you, and you acted like you didn't care to hear it . . ." She paused to take a breath, somewhat in shock that she was finally offloading all of the feelings she had been trying to make heads or tails of since she met him.

The CEO stared blankly as she spoke, not offering any sort of reply. Nataki was trying to sound composed, but it was harder than she had anticipated. She hoped he was actually _listening_ to her, not just sitting there waiting for her to finish so he could make a snarky remark.

"And then the way Shizukami-san reacted when she saw you . . ." And then a flicker of annoyance appeared in his eyes upon hearing the girl brought up. It was at that moment Nataki knew she needed to bite her tongue and let go of it and return to what she was really trying to get at. "I guess I'm just frustrated because I honestly don't know who you are."

Then, Kaiba did something she hadn't expected – he shot her an amused smirk.

". . . this is amusing to you?" She inquired, almost visibly hurt by his reaction.

He nodded, his brunette bangs swaying a bit. "Quite." Then, while brushing his bangs aside his face returned to being controlled and unreadable. "Because I've never known someone so _adamant_ about getting to know me. I didn't realize I was _that_ interesting."

Nataki's cheeks revealed a faint flush as she suddenly felt embarrassed at having been honest with him. As she proceeded to stand up and start walking back to class, he packed his laptop into his schoolbag and followed closely behind her.

"Well, please forgive me for wanting to have even a half-baked idea of who you are, Kaiba-san." She said softly, her cheeks stinging from the heat of embarrassment.

"You don't need to apologize." He replied, matching her stride with seamless effort. "I just find it odd.""

Turning on her heel, she stopped and looked up at him, her dark blue eyes gazing at him with as much determination as she could muster.

"Kaiba-san." She said firmly, her pigtails swaying a bit from the breeze. "I want a fresh start."

The CEO narrowed his eyes slightly. "What?"

"A fresh start." She repeated, her hands resting at her sides. "Starting with repaying you the time you gave up to tutor me."

Nataki felt herself smiling inside. Somehow she had found her voice, and she wasn't about to silence it quite yet. "Ever since tutoring ended, I've been wanting to show how much I appreciated your help in some way." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other for a moment while collecting her thoughts. "I know . . . you've been really busy lately, managing your company and everything, and was thinking that maybe I could make up the hours you spent tutoring me by helping out in some way?"

"Not necessary." He said abruptly in response. "What's done is done. Tutoring ended months ago, so your offer is outdated and irrelevant now. And besides . . ." He continued, turning away from her. "What could _you_ possibly help _me_ with?"

"Whatever you need." She replied, trying not to let the sharp tone inflict her. "I genuinely want to."

Kaiba said nothing. He honestly couldn't understand why she would make such an offer. What was with her? Ever since he had first met her, Kaiba had felt unsure of her. She seemed so . . . _different_ from anyone else he had ever met, including Yugi and his group of friends. And while he would never openly admit it, he found her company entertaining, if only slightly. Coming back into focus, the CEO realized that, while her offer was somewhat unheard of – why would anyone volunteer to help him of all people? - he knew had no reason to suspect any hidden agenda or motivation for it. What did she possibly have to gain? Nothing financially speaking or otherwise. Her eyes reflected nothing more than the same spark of naive hopefulness they always did.

"I tutored you for five sessions at two hours per session." He started. "So you would owe me ten hours of volunteer work, correct?"

With a quick nod, Nataki waited for him to give his answer. Why did she feel so nervous about his decision? More than anything, she was putting all of her eggs into this basket, hoping that she could repay him what she felt she owed him, and perhaps from her gesture get a clearer picture of who Seto Kaiba was. She couldn't explain this urgency, this compulsion to know who he really was, or why she even had reason to believe he was more than met the eye. The feeling was unrelenting, and she felt smothered by it.

With a sigh, he finally replied. "Tomorrow."

Nataki looked at him curiously. "Tomorrow . . . ?"

"We'll figure out what exactly you'll be doing to pay me back the ten hours tomorrow." Then, he headed inside to return to his class.


	14. The Waiting Game

**A/N:** Hello readers! :D I am so pleased to see that I have acquired some new followers and reviewers - you have no idea how much my heart swells in excitement to see how much you are enjoying this story so far! Please keep letting me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

The next day seemed to progress slower than usual, and Nataki wondered if her curiosity was the culprit to blame. Kaiba had seemed pensive about accepting her offer in the first place. Even more, his vague response had left her wondering if she was going to regret her decision. While she wanted a fresh start more than anything, Nataki couldn't help thinking that perhaps it would be more difficult working for him than she imagined. Kaiba was most likely a different person at work than he was at school - being the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, he would likely be a much more critical, authoritative person, but would also likely conduct himself in a more professional manner than he did at school. And the more she mulled over his words – that she would likely be more of a _hindrance_ than a _helping hand_ to have around the office – only made her feel less than confident in herself. But what would he possibly have her do that would be so beyond her grasp or competence? And then, of course, the fact that Shizukami, Akana had yet to return to school still lingered in the air. Perhaps _haunted_ was the right word to describe the eerie feeling that she just hadn't been able to shake. With a sigh, Nataki tried to refocus on the mathematics lesson happening in front of her. She felt Haine absentmindedly braiding a few strands of her hair and turned slightly to see her face.

"Back to braiding my hair, I see."

Haine shrugged. "At least I'm not sleeping through Bosakara's lesson."

"I'm so proud." Nataki said while rolling her eyes. "Do try to take _some_ notes today. I can't keep giving you mine to take home to copy. The homework is getting harder, and my notes have practically formed a marriage with the textbook – I always leave them side-by-side when I'm trying to do the math problems."

"Yeah, yeah I'm taking notes." She replied while half-heartedly jotting down a few problems from the chalkboard. "Just multi-tasking. Take your hair out of the pigtails, will ya? I want to try something."

Nataki gently untied the pink ribbon from around one pigtail, and then the other – her raven hair cascading around her face and slightly past her shoulders.

"Dang, I forget how long your hair actually is . . ." Haine chirped while starting to separate her dark hair into three large strands. "You should wear it down sometime."

"Mmm, maybe I will." She said softly before turning herself to face the board, leaving Haine to weave her dark strands into a long braid uninterrupted. "I hope this braid will be better than your last one."

She heard Haine scoff at her while tightening the weave of the braid. "Boy, someone's high maintenance."

Nataki stifled a giggle while pushing everything but the math lesson out of focus. According to what Kaiba had told her the previous day, she would have the answers to her questions later. It was difficult sometimes to keep things from Haine and the gang, but she felt like it was better to have less questions asked. They meant well, but anything to do with Kaiba seemed to be an immediate attention grabber, and she didn't really feel like trying to explain why it meant so much to her to know _who_ Seto Kaiba was because, frankly, she didn't know the answer to that herself yet.

* * *

As the school day drew ever closer to its end, Nataki's anxiety began to bubble up inside of her. She hadn't seen Kaiba when she met Yugi and company for lunch, and wondered if he had reconsidered the whole thing. _Maybe he thought about it and sees it as a waste of his time . . ._

Suddenly, the bell rang, and everyone in her class stood up from their seats, collected their belongings, and headed out of the room. Nataki proceeded to do the same and met eyes with Haine, who nodded approvingly at her.

"You look nice wearing a braid."

"Why thank you." She said with a smile while tracing the weave with her fingers. "You did a lovely job, Haine-chan."

"I know, right?" She smirked. "Next time I'm charging."

Nataki chuckled lightly as she walked with Haine through the hallways and finally out the entrance to the school. She saw Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu turning past the gates and heading in the direction of the Kame Game Shop. Haine noticed her watch them.

"Wanna go after them?"

"Nah, it's okay." She said softly.

"Well, I've gotta head to work, as I'm assuming you have to as well, so I'll catch ya later." Haine said with a smile. "Maybe we could hang out this weekend, see a movie or something."

"I'd love that!" Nataki exclaimed.

"Sweet." She responded. "I'll text you."

"Okay. Bye Haine-chan!" She called while waving goodbye.

* * *

Nataki lingered about ten minutes after saying goodbye to Haine while scanning the area for any trace of the CEO. Most of the students had left already, leaving her standing alone near the gates. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, trying to wait a bit longer, hoping that he was going to appear as he had implied the previous day. The streets were busy, but the Kaiba Corp. limousine was nowhere to be seen. _I guess he did change his mind._ Dragging her feet, she proceeded to walk home, having postponed her shift at Momo no Ki Cafe a couple of hours to accommodate planning her volunteer time for Kaiba. She kept her eyes fixated ahead of her on the blur of traffic and pedestrian crossing lights, trying not to look as disappointed as she felt. As she made her way closer toward the apartment complex, she could see a limousine parked down a side street a few blocks from it. _I wonder if . . .?_ Nataki took a few steps closer toward the direction of the car, but then thought better of it and continued en route to her apartment. Suddenly, she heard the limousine start and slowly pull out from the street. She felt a lump form in her throat, the familiar sensation of being followed creeping up from inside her and making her on edge. The limousine finally came to a halt alongside of her, and the driver window descended, revealing a man in dark sunglasses and dark green hair. He crinkled his nose slightly upon seeing Nataki, who was now standing in silence.

"Are you Kuzana, Nataki?"

"Yes." She answered as firmly as she could. Nataki didn't want to appear intimidated, but she was a bit uneasy that some stranger knew her name.

"My name is Isono, and I work for Seto-sama, who sent me on his behalf to pick you up. He said you had business arrangements to discuss with him." He sensed her relief at his words and shot a brief smile. "If you would please be so kind as to oblige. Seto-sama disapproves of tardiness."

"Ah, of course!" She replied before bowing and reaching for the door handle to the back of the limousine. "My apologies."

Closing the door behind her, Nataki slid across the plush seating. She felt the limousine start to move as she buckled herself into the seat, somewhat overwhelmed by the spacious interior and luxuries it contained. Leaning back against the headrest, she couldn't help wondering if Kaiba ever rode around in his limousine just for the sake of relaxing. If it weren't for the adrenaline rush she had just felt at the idea of being followed, or her nerves at the realization that he was going to keep to his word and honor her request to make up the time he lost tutoring her, she could have easily drifted off to sleep.

The tinted window separating the driver's quarters from the passenger's quarters slid down, revealing the man who had introduced himself moments ago as Isono.

"Are you comfortable, Kuzana-san?" He asked.

"Very much so, thank you." She replied congenially.

"Excellent." A pause. "We'll be arriving shortly." And with that, the window ascended and divided the two sections of the limousine once more.

Nataki peered through the tinted windows at the streets of Domino. It felt so strange looking out from inside the limousine. _I feel like I've crossed over into a different world._ She knew almost instantly when they had arrived – Kaiba Corporation was a massive building that towered over much of Domino City. It shot upward with an intensity that suited its president, and the rows of windows traveled up the sides of the building in an endless fashion. She stared with her mouth agape, wondering just how many floors there were, and which one Kaiba worked on. Nataki then caught a glimpse of something she hadn't expected – two massive, impressively sculpted statues of what appeared to be dragons. _Oh right, the Blue Eyes White Dragon is his favorite card. He must really like them a lot to have statues of them outside of his company . . ._

"Ahem." She heard the driver clear his throat, indicating their arrival.

"Thank you so much, Isono-san." She said politely.

"Of course, Kuzana-san." He replied. Then, stepping out of the car, added, "Now, if you would be so kind as to follow me, I will bring you to Seto-sama."

Nataki felt her throat become dry as she left the comfort of the limousine. She adjusted her uniform as best she could – now that she was right in front of the building, she suddenly felt majorly under-dressed. To be fair, however, she had come straight from school. Nataki took a deep breath and followed the man through the entrance. If Nataki had thought the building was immense from the outside, it seemed even more so from the inside. Her dark blue eyes took in every detail in awe – phones ringing, fingers typing, elevators returning and leaving the ground floor, footsteps hastily ascending and descending flights of stairs . . . controlled, well-coordinated chaos.

"Kuzana-san."

Nataki blinked and felt her cheeks flush slightly, embarrassed at having spaced out momentarily. "Sorry, Isono-san!"

"You seem quite anxious." Then, gesturing to a water fountain, he continued. "Would you like a drink of water or anything?"

"No thank you." She said softly. _Why do my palms feel so sweaty all of the sudden? It's not like this is my first time meeting him or anything._

"Well, then, shall we?" He asked while pressing the button to bring an elevator down.

The ascent up to Kaiba's office was smooth and much quicker than Nataki anticipated. The elevator came to a graceful, smooth stop on the twelfth floor and opened the polished steel doors with a quick, fluid motion. _So he works on the this floor . . ._

In an instant, Isono had stepped off the elevator and proceeded over toward the door to Kaiba's office. Nataki followed suit and came to a halt beside him. With a quick flick of his hand, the man knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Came a low, but sharp voice from behind it.

"'I've returned with Kuzana-san, Seto-sama."

A brief moment of silence, and then, "Send her in."

"As you wish." Then, the man adjusted his sun glasses and opened the door for Nataki, who felt like the next few steps she was about to take were somehow going to be some of the heaviest she would take in her time in Domino.


	15. Here's Hoping

As Nataki stepped inside the office the first thing she noticed was how simplistic it was. White walls enclosed an otherwise simple room filled with a variety of plants. The green carpeting, paired with the paintings depicting different landscapes and elements of nature, created an almost zen-like atmosphere that seemed a stark contrast to the man who worked inside it. There was generous floor space in the center of the office – cabinets and other furniture lined the perimeter. A lone desk sat in front of the large skyscraper-like windows, and on it was a single computer and keyboard. Behind it was Kaiba, sitting in a large swivel chair, his fingers methodically typing away, eyes fixated on the screen in front of him. After a moment he leaned back into his chair and turned to face her, icy cobalt staring at her expectantly.

"Kuzana." He acknowledged, at which she bowed in response. "Take a seat."

Nataki hastily retrieved a chair from the other end of the office, unfolded it, and placed it directly across from his own on the other side of the desk. She tried to seem poised and confident as she seated herself, but somehow this arrangement felt more stressful than the one that had become routine to her at school. They weren't really that far apart, but the desk made her painfully aware of the actual distance between them – socially, economically, etc. Swallowing hard, Nataki shuddered at the thought that her and Kaiba may as well have been from different worlds.

"I see you've met Isono, my business adviser."

"Yes." She replied as she looked over at the man who had brought her to him. "Thank you again, Isono-san."

"Of course." The man replied. Then, turning to face Kaiba directly added, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Seto-sama?"

The CEO seemed pensive for a moment. "No. You may go."

"Very well." Isono said as he bowed and exited the office, leaving the two of them alone.

Nataki smiled faintly, trying not to let her unease show.

"Relax." He scoffed. "It's not like you're here for a job interview."

"I-I know." She said softly, looking down at her hands folded neatly on her lap. Then, bringing herself to meet his gaze once more, continued. "But I take _all_ of my work seriously – volunteer or contract-based."

Kaiba's lips curved upward the slightest bit, and the smallest hint of a smirk tugged at them. "That's good to know." Then, he retrieved a plain black corporate folder from the top drawer of his desk with the company's "KC" logo printed in the center. As he slid it across the table to her, he added "I've been thinking over the most productive use of your time here, and I've come up with an outline of the work I'd like you to be doing during your two-hour shifts. Take a minute to look it over."

Nataki could hear her heart beating trepidly in her ears as she grabbed the folder and opened it, revealing a spreadsheet with different tasks written underneath a variety of time frames ranging from fifteen minutes in length to almost an hour. As she read over what her volunteer time would entail, however, she began to relax – filing paperwork, answering the phone, scheduling appointments. _Okay, so basically I'll be doing secretarial work._

Nataki closed the folder and looked back across the desk at Kaiba, who raised an eyebrow.

"Any questions?"

"I don't think so." She stated calmly. "Other then when do I start?"

"You can start Monday after school, four o'clock." A pause. "Will that interfere with your waitressing?"

Nataki shook her head. "I have been working the evening shift lately, so I'm sure my manager won't mind. I'll double check with him."

Kaiba nodded before folding his arms across his chest. "Take some time this weekend to familiarize yourself with the schedule I gave you – I'm sure you're already well aware, but I run an _extremely_ tight ship here." Then, he stood up from his chair and narrowed his eyes at her. "No exceptions."

"Understood." Nataki breathed.

"And starting Monday, dress accordingly." He advised, brushing off his white business suit. "This _is_ a professional workplace. Being a volunteer employee doesn't exempt you from the expectations I have for those who work here."

Nataki's face flushed slightly at his words. Of course she knew how to dress professionally – she hadn't exactly expected to meet him in his office. The man hadn't even had the decency to inform her that someone would be picking her up on his behalf. She felt like saying this to him, but instead said "Yes, of course." Then, retrieving the folder he had given her, added "Thank you, Kaiba-san."

With a lackluster "Hmph." the CEO returned to his chair and resumed a report he had been working on before Nataki had arrived. Just as she had gathered her things and proceeded to leave, he looked up from the screen.

"Kuzana."

Turning on her heel, Nataki's dark blue eyes met his own. "Yes?"

"See you Monday."

"See you then." She affirmed with a smile before exiting his office, slowly shutting the door behind her.

Tracing her still tightly woven braid, Nataki took a deep breath – she felt hopeful about the arrangement. Perhaps she was in the process of opening a new window of possibilities – paving the way for the fresh start she sought. All the bottled anxiety she had felt leading up to the meeting was slowly seeping out of her, leaving her body with every exhale. She was so immersed in her mental replay of what had just transpired that she neglected to notice the boy rushing out of the elevator. With a THUD! Nataki collided into him, sending them both to the ground in a state of shock.

"I'm so sorry!" She gasped. "Are you okay?"

As she took in the individual's appearance, Nataki realized that he was a young boy who looked to still be in elementary school. He shot her a perturbed expression and hastily got up from the floor.

"Yeah, fine." He spat while brushing off his jeans. "Just watch it, lady." He barked.

Nataki regained her balance and stood up. In all honesty, she was a bit taken aback by the boy's rudeness. It had been an honest mistake. Just as she proceeded to step into the elevator, she saw the boy knock on the door of Kaiba's office.

"Hey nii-sama, I'm back!"

_Nii-sama? _Nataki watched as the boy opened the door and shut it behind him. _Could it be . . . ? _Before she could consider the possibility of the boy being Kaiba's younger brother, the steel elevator door slid shut, closing off her thoughts on the matter. After pressing the button for the ground floor, Nataki stood in silence as the elevator descended eleven floors, stopping every so often to let other employees board. Clutching the folder to her chest, Nataki mulled over the possibility of telling Haine about her decision to make up the volunteer time. _Maybe she'd even help me shop for one or two more professional outfits. They'd be good to have on hand, even after I'm done volunteering at Kaiba Corporation._ Retrieving her cell phone from inside her schoolbag, Nataki decided it was worth a shot. What was the worst that could happen?

"Hey! Want to hit the mall tomorrow?" She texted Haine before realizing that she had reached her floor. While stepping out of the elevator and leaving Kaiba Corporation behind her until Monday afternoon, she heard her phone buzz and checked her messages.

"Sounds good to me. What time?"

Nataki smiled. "10 o'clock sound good?"

After a few steps down the street, Haine's reply, arrived. "Great! See you then."

Sending a smile emoticon to Haine and continuing the walk back to her apartment, Nataki thought that maybe everything was starting to fall into place. Only time would tell, of course, but something in her gut told her everything was going to work out somehow.


	16. E is for Effort

Monday morning had arrived, and Nataki was feeling the flames of determination spread through her like a wildfire. As she packed her professional clothing into her school bag that she would change into after arriving at Kaiba Corporation for her first day of volunteer work, Nataki began to hum to herself happily. It was a simple outfit, really – a white, quarter sleeve button up blouse tucked into a dark blue pencil skirt that Haine _insisted_ brought out the sparkle in her eyes – but there was something to be said about confidence and clothing, how they _make_ the man or woman, and she couldn't deny how contagious that feeling was as she remembered how she had looked wearing it. Nataki recalled thinking _Is this realy me?_ and loving every minute of acknowlegding that it was her, indeed. Finding comfortable heels had been a harrowing experience to say the least, and eventually Nataki settled for her go-to footwear – a pair of very dark blue, high heel boots. With a satisfied sigh, she hurried along with her morning routine and, after she had finished, scooted off to school.

As soon as she entered the classroom, Haine's eyes caught her own. Nataki had hardly seated herself before the words passed between her lips.

"Sooooo, which outfit are you wearing for the first day of your descent into hell?"

Nataki rolled her eyes. She knew Haine was half joking. Nonetheless, she had not hesitated expressing her concerns over the whole arrangement, at which Nataki had reminded her that, first and foremost, she _wanted_ to do it, had even _insisted _to do it, and secondly, that it would only be five days.

"I still don't like it." She had spat in her typical fashion at the mention of Kaiba. "That dickwad isn't exactly a pleasure in school as a peer . . I can't imagine him being any better as a boss. Especially because he'll be calling the shots, he'll probably act like even more of an asshole."

"It'll be fine, Haine-chan." She had promised her.

"Okay . . . but if he gives you any crap . . . let me know, and I'll change his tune."

Nataki couldn't help smiling at remembering Haine's words. _She really means well._

"Oh, just the white blouse with the skirt _you_ picked out."

"And a lovely skirt, at that." Haine interjected. "I still can't believe it was on sale! We were practically bargain bandits this weekend."

Nataki couldn't help chuckling at Haine's terminology. _How does she come up with these names?_

"I must say, you certainly are a super shopper, Haine-chan." Then, fetching a pen and spiral notebook from her school bag, continued "I can't wait to shop with you again sometime."

"Pfft, next time we'll be shopping for something more . . . _exciting_."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's June now, first term will be ending in a little over a month, think do-do."

Nataki thought it over for a moment and then . . .

"Swimsuits?"

"Bingo!" Haine exclaimed. "Some sexy, summer bikini shopping is in order~"

"Oh, I don't know about that." Nataki said with a sheepish smile. "I mean, you'd look amazing in one, I'm sure! Heck, with all the swimming you do you must!"

"Well, duh." She teased while sticking her tongue out playfully. "But I'll bet _you_ would too." Then, Haine saw something out of the corner of her eye and gestured for Nataki to turn around. "Speaking of bikinis and those who model them, guess who's finally back?"

Slowly, Nataki turned toward the direction Haine was suggesting. Standing with her school bag in her hands, clutched in front of her, was Akana. Almost instantaneously, the episode of last week came back to Nataki with complete clarity, and without hesitating, she stood up from her desk and proceeded over to Akana.

"Good morning, Shizukami-san." She greeted congenially, at which the girl smiled faintly.

"Good morning, Kuzana-san."

She offered nothing freely – no explanation of her reaction, no cause for her absence from school for the remainder of last week. Nataki didn't pry though – she knew it wasn't her place – and instead, said "Good to see you back."

"Thank you." Then, sitting down at her desk, added "It's good to be back, I suppose." A pause. "I presume I didn't miss too much in my absence?"

"No, not at all." Nataki replied. "You can borrow my notes, if you'd like."

"I would appreciate that very much." Akana said softly while brushing a golden strand away from her face. "Thank you."

When Nataki returned to her desk, Haine shot her a curious expression, as if asking "So? What happened? Details, details!" Nataki merely shook her head.

"Nothing good to report?"

"She didn't offer anything, and I wasn't going to ask." She stated. "That's rude."

"Pssh, like making a disgusted face and disappearing for the rest of the week isn't?"

"Haine-chan . . ."

"Fine, whatever." Then, while taking out her notebook for class added, "I'll mark her as 'weird until proven otherwise.'"

During lunchtime, Nataki expected to be eating alone. She knew Haine had a meeting to attend, and she didn't feel like visiting Yugi and the rest of the crew in 2-B. Opening her bento, Nataki was content with the idea of having a calm, quiet lunch in solitude, and then . . .

"Eating alone?"

Nataki looked up from her bento and saw golden eyes gazing down at her with the slightest interest dancing about in them.

"Shizukami-san!" She gasped. "Um, yeah I guess so . . ."

"You aren't going to visit your friends in 2-B?"

Nataki blinked, half wondering why she seemed to be so interested, and half sympathetic to her most recent turn of events with them. _I can imagine she must still feel awkward seeing them after what happened . . ._ Nataki shook her head.

"Then would you mind if I join you?" She asked, a cat-like smile tugging at her lips the tiniest bit.

"Of course not! Please, sit down." _Wait, what?_

"Thank you." She said while seating herself as a queen would lower herself on her throne.

_Is it just me or . . .? Seriously, how can she be that graceful? Then again, she is a model . . . _

At noticing Nataki's thoughtful expression, she began again. "I must tell you how much I appreciate your penchant to privacy." While turning her head to look around the room briefly, she continued "I can't say I've met too many people who respect it."

Nataki smiled. "Of course."

Her lips curving upward into a gracious grin, Akana began anew. "So, how are things with you?"

Nataki didn't respond right away – she felt a bit stilted by the sheer transformation in the girl's demeanor. Last week, she had seemed somewhat reticent and standoffish, but today she seemed . . . uncharacteristically social? _What the . . . ?_

"Good, thanks for asking." She said finally. "Keeping busy between everything. I'm sure you know all about that."

"Mm, yes I do." Akana said while twirling around a leaf of romaine in her bowl. "All too well, I'm afraid."

Nataki took another bite of her bento. Something seemed . . . odd. It wasn't as if the girl was asking anything that would stand out from everyday, mundane idle chat, and yet . . . it seemed purposeful. Almost like making up for lost time or something. But Nataki being Nataki, she saw this in a positive light, and found herself secretly thrilled by it all. _I'm so happy she's talking to me!_ _After what happened last week I was a bit worried that things would be awkward or something._

"I overheard you and Suzude-san chatting about swimsuit shopping?" Akana interrupted her train of thought.

"Ah, yes! But I'm not so sure about that." After taking another bite of her sushi, Nataki added, "I'm all shopped out for now."

"Really?" She inquired while raising an eyebrow. "You must have done well though, no?"

"I did! Haine-chan helped me find some nice professional clothes on sale."

"That's nice." Akana said indolently. "Updating your wardrobe?"

Nataki found herself about to explain, but then realized what a horrible mistake that would likely be. _She clearly feels really strongly about Kaiba-san, so telling her that I bought clothes to work for him, even voluntarily, is definitely NOT a good idea._

"Yeah, sort of." She tried. "I mean, I don't have a lot of professional clothes in my closet, and they're always nice to have for special occassions and such."

"Of course." Akana replied, somehow sounding a bit disappointed in the response. Yet, she continued, "I'd love to see them sometime . . . I could give you professional fashion tips."

Nataki couldn't stop the audible gasp from leaving her throat. "Really? Oh my gosh, that would be . . . incredible, Shizukami-san!"

With a small smile, the girl nodded. "Then it would be my pleasure." Swiftly, she sealed her lunch container and stood up. "It was nice to have lunch with you, Kuzana-san."

"Likewise." Nataki agreed. "I look forward to it again."

Akana nodded and turned on her heel to return to her own desk. _Haine-chan won't believe it._ She thought in glee. And just like that, Nataki felt like everything was going better than she ever could have anticipated.

. . . well, until it was time to leave and head straight to Kaiba Corp. The streets were overcrowded with people everywhere, and somehow it always seemed to be that Murphy's law made everything more inconvenient. Like the fact that Nataki was a bit too late arriving at every pedestrian crossing, and was forced to wait for them to change to green after what seemed like an eternity. Or that, when she finally did reach Kaiba Corp. and proceeded to check in at the front desk, there was a decently long line. When she had finally been cleared by the receptionist, she headed into the women's lavatory to change into her work clothes only to find that all of the stalls were occupied. And then of course the zipper on her pencil skirt got stuck, catching her half buttoned up blouse in the process. _Oh my god, really? I __**knew**__ that skirt was too good to be true!_

Finally managing to fix her caught zipper, Nataki kicked off her shoes and slipped her feet into the boots – the most comfortable part of her outfit, by far – folded her school uniform and tucked it into her school bag, and headed for the elevators. . . which of course had all just been boarded and began their ascension upward. _Seriously? _

Deciding it would take less time to run up eleven flights of stairs than wait for the elevators to come back down, she hastily scooted up the staircase and made it to the fifth flight before stopping briefly to catch her breath. _I'm so out of shape._ With one final burst of zeal, she charged up the stairs, ducking and dodging many employees, shouting a quick "I'm sorry!" as she did so. When she reached the twelfth floor, she tried to regain her breath as she knocked on the door.

"Kaiba-san." A breath. "It's me, Kuzana, Nataki. I'm here for my first day of volunteer work."

"Come in." She heard him say through the door.

Regaining her composure, she let out a deep breath and walked inside. The CEO was standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest, a scowl seated on his face. The next two words passed between his lips without a moment's hesitation. "You're late."

Nataki's eyes widened slightly, and she haphazardly reached for her cell phone in her school bag. Before she could retrieve it, Kaiba had walked across the room toward her. He slightly rolled up his sleeve and flicked his wrist at her. "Five minutes late, to be exact." Then, raising an eyebrow, he added "Not a good way to begin your 'fresh start.'"

"I'm so sorry, Kaiba-san." She gasped. "I left as soon as the bell rang, but on the way I kept-"

"I don't want to hear excuses." He sneered.

Nataki swallowed the lump in her throat and bowed. "My apologies, Kaiba-san. I'll get to work right away." She said, a slight quiver in her voice as she proceeded over to what would be her workspace – a lone desk with paperwork, a large calendar, a telephone, a cannister of pens and pencils, scrap paper, and a somewhat uncomfortable chair. And then of course, the unhappy boss overseeing her. Suddenly the clothes didn't seem to matter – her confidence had clocked out before she had clocked in.

The work itself was quite straightforward. The fact that Kaiba had laid out the time frames for her different jobs made it even simpler. Still, that didn't make up for the fact that it was a lot of work – Kaiba was a man who stuck true to his word, and Nataki realized that almost immediately. Between scheduling, canceling, or moving his meetings around – sometimes having to call multiple times to reach certain business partners – to sorting and filing documents and reports, Nataki couldn't seem to catch her breath. Kaiba interacted with her only once or twice to confirm something. Other than that, he worked silently at his desk.

When six o'clock finally did arrive, Nataki was ready to go home, eat something quick, head over to the cafe, go home, shower, and rejuvenate to do a better job the next day. At noticing her stand up to stretch, Kaiba asked

"Going somewhere?"

Nataki furrowed her brow. "It's six o'clock." Which came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

"Right, but you were five minutes late, so technically your end time for today will be five after six."

As much as she wanted to argue the matter, she knew he was right. And hell, she was too tired to press the issue anyway.

"Okay." Then, looking at her to-do list, inquired "What else would you like for me to do until then, Kaiba-san?"

"Bring me over the calendar and your schedule for today." He replied without looking away from the computer screen. "I want to check them over."

She did as he asked and carried the large desk calendar over, setting it on his desk gently. Nataki also set down the spreadsheet he had made for her. He wrinkled his nose at seeing her check marks next to each task, with annotated notes alongside the names of business partners she had contacted, including, "Check again tomorrow to confirm the date and time." and "A pleasure to speak to."

"Everything appears to be in order." He stated flatly.

If Nataki had been expecting, or even more so hoping to hear any words of appreciation or gratitude from him, she was extremely disappointed. Fortunately, she was almost too tired to let it bother her. Working for Kaiba wasn't bad, but it definitely felt like work. Heck, waitressing was going to feel like a breeze, and that required its own level of multitasking. Somehow interacting with people in person seemed less taxing than trying to get ahold of them over the phone.

"But you still owe me four more minutes." He sat silently for a moment, pondering what to have her do. Finally, he resolved himself to giving her a simple task."Would you mind making me a cup of coffee?"

Nataki blinked – she hadn't expected him to have her do something so easy. "Sure, no problem."

"Just black – no cream, no sugar."

"You've got it." She replied as she proceeded to a counter near the other end of the office. The single serve brewer had already made the CEO about four cups of coffee, and number five would be made shortly as Nataki placed the white, porcelain mug with the company's initials imprinted on the front beneath the brewer, measured out the grinds and water, and poured them into the machine. The aroma of freshly ground coffee wafted into the air and Nataki smiled, enjoying the pungent odor. _I wonder how many cups he drinks a day._ She thought to herself while looking over at Kaiba, who was rubbing his temples. _He looks so tired, and yet . . ._ Suddenly, he looked over in her direction, causing her to return her attention to the coffee. As it started dripping into the mug, Nataki found herself humming along to a song Haine had recently introduced her to.

"I want to see it painted . . . painted black." After a moment, the coffee was done brewing. Nataki carefully carried it over to him and set it on a solid glass coaster with a dragon insignia, which she assumed was supposed to look like the Blue Eyes White Dragon. _Gosh, he really likes that thing. I wonder how many Blue Eyes White Dragon regalia he has . . ._

"Here you are, Kaiba-san." She chirped. "Coffee 'black as night, black as coal,'" She half said, half sang, at which Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"I never took you for a Rolling Stones fan." He stated in earnest while blowing on it briefly before taking a sip.

Nataki's face tinged red slightly, part embarrassed by the fact he had picked up on that, and yet also pleasantly surprised he knew the song too. "Haine-chan recently introduced me to the group. They're not bad . . . 'Paint it Black' is my favorite song so far." Then, shooting him a smile, she added, "Do you like them, Kaiba-san?"

"Frankly, I don't care for them. . . or any music from the eighties, if you'd even call it that. Half of the bands spent more time screaming or belting out words than singing, if you ask me."

Nataki shrugged. "I'm not a huge eighties fan either, but Haine loves rock music, so I tend to listen to it with her when we hang out." Then, seeing the conversation as an opportunity to maybe learn a bit about him, continued "I'm more into other types of music, like contemporary, hip-hop, R&amp;B, alternative rock, Indie, etc., although I do like some country music. What about you, Kaiba-san?"

The CEO said nothing for a moment as he sipped at his coffee. Nataki was surprised he hadn't scalded his tongue – steam still rose up from the mug, so it must have been pretty hot.

"Mm, can't say I have a favorite." He said finally. "Although I'm not overly fond of any of the types you mentioned."

"Well, if you _had_ to pick one . . . what would it be?"

Placing his mug on the glass coaster, Kaiba looked directly at her, his cobalt eyes piercing.

"Why does it matter?" He inquired, stressing each syllable.

Nataki picked up on his irritation almost immediately and looked away, unable to maintain her gaze.

"It doesn't really." She mumbled. "I was just curious."

Upon noticing her recoil from his tone, Kaiba's expression softened apologetically. With a heavy sigh, he said "Classical." Then, leaning back in his chair, he continued "It's mainly instrumental, so it doesn't distract me from my work. It's good background noise when I opt out of complete silence."

Nataki nodded. "I can see that. While I've never been much into classical music, it's almost impossible not to acknowledge how . . . sophisticated and, no pun intended, classy it sounds."

"Hmph, that's the only type I consider music honestly." Crossing his arms, the CEO shot her a stubborn expression. "People who can't appreciate the classics aren't civilized."

Nataki chuckled nervously. _Who knew he felt so strongly about music? A minute ago he seemed like he didn't care about it at all . . ._

His eyes narrowed and caught a glimpse of the time on the bottom of his computer screen. "But anyway, your shift is over." He handed her back her spreadsheet and desk calendar. "Everything looks fine. You're free to go."

She nodded and grabbed them from him before returning to her desk to set them up for tomorrow. Kaiba watched her walk toward the door, and before she reached for the handle spoke up.

"Kuzana."

Nataki turned to face him, her posture poised despite the wear and tear of the day. "Yes, Kaiba-san?"

"_Do_ try to be on time tomorrow." He sighed. "You told me that you take your work seriously, and I from what I saw today, that seems to be true." Strumming his fingers across the solid oak desk, he continued, "However, arriving on time is included in that. If I had just hired you, I would have fired you for being late."

Nataki swallowed hard at his words. It made sense, of course – a company can only function as efficiciently as its most inefficient worker – and Nataki had honestly tried her hardest to make it on time. _I guess I'll have to pay for a taxi or something . . ._

"I understand." She replied with the solemnity his words demanded. "It won't happen again."

"I know." His words came out effortlessly and without any trace of doubt. Her eyes were like windows into her mind, and Kaiba could see the sincerity reflected in those two deep blue orbs. "See you tomorrow."

Nataki nodded. "Goodnight." She replied softly as she opened the door and closed it behind her. Kaiba's eyes lingered a moment longer on the door before he opened his music library on the computer, hit PLAY, and surrendered himself to the sound of Frédéric Chopin's piano compositions while he resumed his work.

* * *

**A/N:** Akana has returned! :D And she is here to stay~ Also, Kaiba's enjoyment of classical music is definitely a headcanon of mine - he would probably enjoy listening to it when he works, or just needs some calm background noise. The song I had in mind at the end is a famous piece by Chopin - Nocturne op. 9 No. 2, in case you're curious what the CEO is listening to. :)


	17. Setting the Stage

The week passed by so quickly that Nataki had hardly been able to catch her breath. Each day blurred into the next – school, volunteer work at Kaiba Corporation, waitressing at Momo no Ki Cafe, completing homework, then going to sleep only to wake up and do the same things again the next day. Rinse, repeat. And when Friday morning finally arrived . . .

"Wow, you look like shit." Haine noted as Nataki reached her seat and half slumped herself down into it.

"Good morning to you too, Haine-chan." She replied while yawning.

"Sorry." A pause. "You just look really wiped out."

"Is it _that_ noticeable?" Nataki gasped while retrieiving a compact mirror from her bag.

"Well, yeah. You're usually so peppy. You just seem a bit run down is all." Then, narrowing her eyes, leaned in closer to her and whispered, "Is Kaiba being a tyrant?"

"No, not at all." She said softly.

Quite the contrary – throughout the course of her volunteer work, Nataki had been able to squeeze in opportunities for small talk or bounce idle chat off something he had said. And while she was nowhere near understanding the complex intricacies of Seto Kaiba, she had learned a few details about him that were more meaningful to her than they honestly should have been – like the fact that he only drank black coffee, listened to classical music, and enjoyed all types of games, but enjoyed puzzles and strategy-based games the most. His favorite color? Blue. Instrument? Piano. Time of day? Morning. All these seemingly trivial facts were like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that she swore, hell or high water, she was going to finish one day. At least, that was what she hoped.

"Really?"

Nataki nodded.

"Well, alright." Haine acquiesced. "At least you're done."

"Yes, I'll have made up the time he spent tutoring me after today." _But I really have been enjoying getting to know him better . . ._

"We should go out to celebrate!" Haine continued. "You know, seeing how you returned from the depths of hell and all."

"Oh, you!" Nataki scolded while smacking her on the arm playfully. "Be nice."

Then, as she turned to face forward she caught a glimpse of Akana, seated sideways in her chair, crossing her long slender legs while staring blankly through a cluster of her peers. Almost instantly, a thin smile adorned her face at noticing Nataki's eyes on her.

"Good morning, Kuzana-san." She stated congenially. Then, seeing Haine's eyes peering over at her from behind Nataki, added, "Suzude-san."

"Oh! Good morning, Shizukami-san." Nataki greeted.

When Haine didn't say anything, Nataki ribbed her.

"Mornin'."

Just then, the bell rang, signaling for all the students to be seated as the teacher entered the room. Akana opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it promptly before turning to face the chalkboard.

With the arrival of lunchtime, Haine was out of her seat and up on her feet in seconds.

"Oh my god this is torture." She whined while stretching her arms over her head. "It's always worse near the end of the term."

"I know what you mean." Nataki agreed. _And I haven't even had much time to be looking over my notes._

"Well, we just gotta get through the next five weeks and then . . ." Grabbing ahold of Nataki's hands, added "It's summertime~"

Nataki giggled a bit at Haine's enthusiasm. Truth be told, she was looking forward to having some time to relax, too. Ever since she had moved to Domino City, Nataki's life had been one thing after the next – finding an apartment, interviewing for a job, transferring into Domino High School, acclimating to her new lifestyle . . .

"I'm excited about it, too." She replied with a smile. "I'm just nervous about the exams."

"Pssh, you'll be fine." With a solid smack on the back that sent Nataki lurching forward, Haine continued "So don't you start stressing about it. We can plan a few study days or something after school. Maybe a week or two before the exams."

"I'd like that!" She exclaimed.

"Good, so it's settled then." Retreiving her bento from her bag, she proceeded with a different train of thought. "So, heading up to 2-B, I take it?"

"Yes. Are you coming too, Haine-chan?"

Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, she shrugged. "I mean, it's been awhile since I've seen 'em – you know, with my meetings and all that, so I figured why not?"

"Aw, do you miss them?" Nataki asked with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

"As if." She retorted while dismissvely waving her hand. "But I _would_ miss you." Pinching her cheek in jest.

After grabbing her own bento, Nataki walked with Haine toward the entrance to the classroom.

"Hmm, taking your lunch to-go?"

Nataki stopped only to see Akana, her lunch container in one hand, a few of her golden locks in the other, her fingers combing through them with ease.

"Ah, yes. Haine-chan and I were about to leave to visit Yugi-kun and the others." A pause. "Would you . . . like to come with us?"

Nataki hadn't brought up the incident since Akana had returned to school, and didn't plan to. Furthermore, she had only visited Yugi and company once since Akana had come back. And, for whatever the reason, she seemed much more social, and Nataki had enjoyed spending lunchtime with her, even though Haine had been rather impartial to her company. That being said, she hadn't wanted Akana to feel pressured to see the gang at all, but . . .

"Yes, I would." She said with a smile.

"Great!" Nataki said returning the smile and looking over at Haine, who seemed a bit perturbed by

Akana's company, but said nothing.

While walking through the hallway, Akana blinked. "You look positively exhausted, Kuzana-san."

Nataki's response was a nervous chuckle, and Akana raised an eyebrow. She didn't push the issue though, and continued silently behind.

* * *

As soon as Nataki and Haine had entered 2-B, Yugi and the others caught a glimpse of them and waved. When they noticed Akana trailing behind, the easygoing demeanor tapered off slightly as their faces contorted in surprise. From their expressions, Nataki could see that they clearly hadn't expected her to come, and yet . . .

"Hi Nat-chan! Haine-chan!" Anzu greeted, pausing a moment before adding, "Shizukami-san!"

"Come to join us, did ya?" Jounouchi inquired.

Nataki nodded happily.

"Well then, pop a squat." He continued. "Yuug was just telling us about this new set of cards that's going to be released soon!"

"Oh really?" Haine interjected while promptly seating herself next to the free desk Nataki was standing next to. "What _kind_ of cards?"

"I'm not exactly sure." The King of Games replied, a sheepish look on his face. "But apparently they're very powerful . . ."

"Yeah, but _how_ powerful?" Haine interrupted once more. "Level-wise? Point-wise? Details!"

"I find it so interesting how quickly this . . . game has caught on with people, especially here."

At hearing Akana speak, all eyes suddenly peered in her direction. Stirring her bowl of assorted seasonal fruits, she continued "Especially considering how it began."

"You're into Duel Monsters, Shizukami-san?" Anzu asked, curiosioty compelling her to speak to the seemingly aloof, myserious girl.

"Not so much the card game, but the history, if you will." She stated flatly. "Did you know that the cards were created based on carvings of monsters found on the walls of Egyptian temples and ruins?"

Nataki's eyes widened at hearing that, her face practically screaming _For real?!_ at which Akana merely nodded at her. Haine raised an eyebrow, not quite buying it, but interested nonetheless.

"Yeah, Yugi's grandpa was an archaeologist who studied the Egyptian culture." Honda said in response.

Picking up on the flow of the conversation, Yugi decided to jump in. He could talk to anyone about Duel Monsters, after all. "You haven't by chance seen the Egyptian exhibits section at the Domino museum, have you?"

Akana raised an eyebrow. "No, I haven't." A pause. "But now that you have brought them to my attention, I think I would like to some time."

Nataki watched as Akana conversed with the gang with such ease and poise. For the first time ever, Nataki was more of a listener than a speaker, an observer rather than a participant. It didn't bother her – on the contrary, she was soaking up the pleasant feeling of the conversation like a sponge, at which Haine said nothing. She watched Akana through a far more scrutinizing lens than Nataki. There was just something about the golden girl that rubbed her the wrong way. She shot Nataki an expression that said _People don't just change like the flip of a switch how are you not weirded out by her?_

_Please, Haine-chan, give her a chance. _Nataki thought to herself while shooting Haine a pleading look.

With a sigh, Haine seemed to bend. _Fine. _

"Especially since you're interested in Egyptian history." Yugi added.

"Hey, why don't we all go together after school?" Jounouchi asked suddenly.

Nataki blinked, but said nothing. As their eyes fixated on her expectantly, she couldn't help feeling a bit unsure how to proceed. She hadn't exactly told anyone other than Haine about volunteering after school, and she only had two more hours left to go before it would be over, so it didn't seem necessary to tell them now. So she fell back on the only thing that she had . . .

"I really wish I could," She began. "But I have . . . 'you know what' after school, so I won't be able to today."

A collective sigh of realization mixed with disappointment filled the space around her, and she shot her friends an apologetic expression.

"Eh, it's not a big deal, Nat." Jounouchi chimed in while placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "We can go some other time."

"Yeah! How about this weekend sometime?" Anzu suggested. "We can meet up for lunch somewhere and then go check it out."

"That would be great!" Nataki exclaimed, relief washing over her all the while. "If that works for you two?" She added while looking over at Haine and Akana, who both simply nodded.

"Great!" Anzu cheered. "So where should we meet?"

"Oh! What about that new pizza joint that just opened a few blocks down from the museum?" Honda suggested.

"Okay!" Nataki said with a cheerful grin before looking at Haine and Akana for consensus.

"That works for me." Haine nodded.

"And for myself, as well." Akana stated.

With that, phone numbers were exchanged, plans were made, and lunchtime had come to a close. Nataki couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with an immense lightness and exuberance – everything seemed to be getting better and better. Honestly, it was almost too good to be true.

* * *

The end of the school day arrived, and before Nataki left for Kaiba Corp., Haine pulled her aside for a moment.

"So . . . I'm assuming her sudden shared interest in Yugi and company doesn't strike you as odd in any way?"

Nataki furrowed her brow.

"No, not really." A pause. "Does it come across that way to you, Haine-chan?"

"Uh, yeah." Then, turning on her heel, she continued. "But whatever. Maybe it's just me. You seem to see nothing wrong with any of it."

Nataki could sense the venom behind her words, hear the bitterness in her tone, and it made her uncomfortable.

"I'm . . . sorry if wanting to include Shizukami-san in our social sphere bothers you, Haine-chan." Reaching out and cupping her hands, she continued, "But I think she genuinely wants to be friends with us. She's very talkative since she came back to school, and she's very pleasant company."

"You don't think she's fishing for information of any kind?" She spat. "Or has some hidden agenda that requires getting on your good side?"

Nataki said nothing – partly because she couldn't believe Haine's perception of Akana, but partly because, when it came down to it, Akana's actions as a whole, from the moment she met her up until now, seemed inconsistent. Aloof to amiable, silent to social, isolated to involved. Nataki finally shook her head.

"I totally understand your thinking, Haine-chan. But I want to think that Shizukami-san has genuinely settled in at the school, and is more comfortable socializing with us." Gently, she squeezed Haine's hand and smiled. "But I appreciate you looking out for us . . . for me. You're a great friend, Haine-chan."

"Alright." She said before patting Nataki on the head. "Just think with this," she added before pointing to her chest. "Instead of that."

As much as she knew what Haine meant, Nataki knew she wouldn't be able to do that completely, but nodded. "I'll try my best."

* * *

Checking in at the front desk was a much quicker process by now, and Nataki had changed into her professional attire and arrived at Kaiba's office in five minutes. She cringed at remembering how long it had taken her on the first day, which had made her late (and Kaiba had made no bones about reminding her of that and holding her to two full hours). Each successive day after, Nataki had been punctual, arriving a minute early or exactly on time, just as she had promised, and just as Kaiba knew she would.

"Hello, Kaiba-san." She said as she knocked on the door to his office.

"Come in." She heard him say through the door.

As she stepped inside she noticed the younger boy she had bumped into before (who she had learned recently afterward was Kaiba's younger brother, Mokuba) standing in front of the CEO's desk. The boy stepped aside for a moment, his violet eyes narrowing slightly at watching her approach.

"Hello, Mokuba-san." She greeted politely before acknowledging Kaiba with a smile.

He merely nodded, still sorting through a folder splayed open on his desk with papers staggered across it, while the younger Kaiba mumbled a "Hi." back.

While Nataki proceeded over toward her desk to get started on her work, Mokuba scrutinized her every move. Kaiba picked up on this immediately and shot him a disapproving look before speaking.

"As I was saying, you need to keep your Capsule Monsters paperwork somewhere safe."

Glancing back at his brother, Mokuba stared down at his feet. "Yeah, I know that, but I'm telling you, it was in that folder . . ."

"Mokuba . . ."

"I swear I put it in there!"

Kaiba closed his eyes and started massaging his temples.

"Okay, well I really don't have time for this right now, so we'll just have to figure this out later."

Mokuba grimaced, but wasn't planning to argue with his brother. As he trudged over toward the door to leave, Nataki bit her lip, considering if it was her place to step in. . .

"I could help him find it, Kaiba-san."

Cobalt eyes slowly opened and gazed at her, surprised.

"That is, if you'd want me to." Looking down at her spreadsheet outlining her remaining tasks, she continued, "I really don't have that much to do, so I should be able to finish everything here and then have some extra time to help Mokuba-san look for his paperwork."

"That would be great." The CEO nodded, a bit taken aback by the offer, but also somewhat unsurprised by it. It seemed only natural of Nataki to make such an offer, or so he thought. "Thanks." After giving Mokuba a stern look, he weedled a "Thanks" out of him, at which Nataki smiled.

A few dozen phone calls and filed papers later, Nataki could take a breath. Her dark blue eyes watched Kaiba type, his fingers hitting the keys with precision as he worked on an email. Abruptly, Mokuba coughed an "Ahem." to get her attention.

"So, are you done?"

"Yes, I just finished, actually." She replied. "So I'd be happy to help you look for your paperwork, Mokuba-san."

"Okay, great." He stated flatly as he proceeded over to a filing cabinet. "I know I definitely put it in here _somewhere_ . . ."

As Nataki fingered through the hundreds of different colored organizers, she realized it would likely take her a longer time than she had anticipated. Nonetheless, she set to work looking for any tabs that contained the words "Capsule," or "Monsters," or had "Kaiba, M." written on it. Those fitting the criteria were pulled from the cabinet and placed on her desk. Mokuba's mouth stood agape at the final pile to sort through.

"Oh my god." He moaned. "This is awful."

"It'll go faster if we both take some of the folders and start looking." Nataki insisted.

"Okay." He sighed, still not convinced.

After about forty minutes of skimming the paperwork, running ten minutes over her scheduled time frame, she found it – a black folder with the words "Capsule Monsters Project" scrawled almost illegibly across the front. Mokuba gasped and snatched it from her hands.

"Yes! This is it!" He cheered before running over to his brother, who was checking his company's stocks. "Look nii-sama, I found it!"

The CEO raised an eyebrow as he took the folder and briefly scanned its contents. He nodded in approval, and handed it back to Mokuba, who hugged it tightly to his chest.

"Good. Now put it somewhere you'll remember. The cabinets are filled to the brim and threaten to collapse any day now."

"Will do!" He shouted while speeding toward the door. Then, noticing Nataki silently reorganizing the folders, added "Thanks lady, ah, I mean Kuzana-san!" before closing the door behind him.

"You're welcome!" Nataki replied as she smiled to herself while continuing her work. Kaiba slowly stood up from his swivel chair and proceeded over to her.

"You didn't need to do that," He said softly.

"I wanted to." She replied while trying to put the other folders back where they had been before.

Kaiba shook his head and grabbed ahold of a thick stack before merely shoving it into the filing cabinet. Then, he took the stack she was holding and did the same. When she shot him a surprised look, he narrowed his eyes.

"Don't waste your time with it. Besides, your shift ended over ten minutes ago."

"I know." She said, a sad smile claiming her face. "To be completely honest, I've been enjoying working here."

Kaiba shot her a dubious expression.

"Really, I have." Then, reluctantly handing back the spreadsheet he had given her, continued, "I feel like I've helped you, even if only a little bit, and I've gotten to know you just a teeny bit more, and both make me happy."

Kaiba rolled his eyes, but didn't make any snarky remarks or comments. "Only _you_ would say something like _that_."

"What do you mean?" She inquired. "You don't believe me?"

Sliding the cabinet drawer shut, Kaiba shook his head. "Crazy enough, I actually do."

Grabbing her belongings, Nataki pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Why is that 'crazy'"?

The CEO looked away from her dismissively while returning to his desk. "I suppose it's not, really." A pause. "Yet, I find myself quite skeptical of people's sincerity most of the time."

Nataki couldn't help feeling a bit saddened by his words. While she knew that the world of business was very vigorous and competitive, she couldn't help feeling like the man was closing himself off to people, including her. Finding a sudden boldness she didn't know she had, Nataki proceeded over to his desk and placed her hands firmly on the solid oak.

"Well, I'm glad you believe me, because it's true. I genuinely want to get to know you, Kaiba-san."

After a brief moment of silence, the CEO turned to face her. His face seemed suddenly rigid, his jawline tight, shoulders tense. _Was it something I said?_

Then, he flattened his hands onto his desk and leaned over it. His eyes were sharp and practically blazing with intensity. His lips curved upward into a smirk.

"And what if you're . . . disappointed?" Cold, crisp, numbing . . . his words were ice as they left his mouth, and stung Nataki as they made an impact. "What if I'm genuinaly a horrible person?"

"No." The word had left her without a moment's hesitation. Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe that . . ."

Kaiba pursed his lips. How was it possible for her to outright reject the idea, to shut it down before giving it life? S_he won't even entertain the possibility of it . . . why?_

After a moment, the CEO couldn't hold back a brief laugh, which made Nataki wince.

"Perhaps _I_ should be the one getting to know _you_, Kuzana." Straightening himself so that he was standing tall and poised, he added "You're unlike anyone I've ever met."

Nataki didn't know what to think by his behavior. Kaiba had moved from amusement to anger in seconds, and now he seemed amused again. _I really don't understand you, Kaiba-san, and I'm starting to think I never truly will . . ._

Upon noticing her silence, he shot her a small smirk. "I didn't say that was a bad thing."

"Oh." She muttered before letting out a sigh. Making her way toward the door, she continued "Well, have a good evening, Kaiba-san." She said softly.

"Yes, you too." Then, brushing his brunette bangs away from his eyes continued, "From the looks of it, you need a good night's sleep."

Nataki smiled sheepishly while closing the door behind her. Kaiba's eyes lingered a moment more on the door before he let out a sigh and continued working.

* * *

**A/N:** So much talking between so many characters . . . and boy, this chapter was looooong xD I'll try to keep them a bit shorter, but the story is about to get "meatier" so it's going to be a challenge, I'm sure!

Stay tuned and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! ;)


	18. A Glimpse at the History of the Game

Saturday was mainly uneventful other than the fact that Nataki had been able to snag some extra hours waitressing. Volunteering at Kaiba Corp. had really cut into her hours of work, setting her back a bit. And bills don't just stop rolling in when you're splitting hairs with your paycheck, after all. But Nataki was determined to make her life in Domino City work, no matter what it took. In addition to trying to find a way to make up for lost time, and lost income, Nataki had joined a group chat Saturday night with Yugi and the others to finalize the plans – they would meet Sunday afternoon at Mama Lucia's Pizza Parlor, between 2 and 2:30pm, grab some lunch, and then head to the museum. Everyone had consented to the arrangement, so Nataki was a little more than surprised when she received a phone call from Akana shortly after to meet earlier. When she asked if there was a particular reason, Akana had answered her in a rather roundabout manner, suggesting that there was something she wanted to run by her before the others arrived. After thoughtful consideration, Nataki had agreed to her request – what did she have to lose? Honestly though, Nataki couldn't begin to imagine what she wanted to discuss.

So when Sunday morning arrived, Nataki selected a cute, but casual outfit – a layered top with a skirt and knee high boots – and struggled to finish some of her homework. She became so engrossed in her schoolwork that she ended up leaving a few minutes late. Lucky for her, the pizza place wasn't all that far of a trek, and Nataki made it rather quickly. She went inside and started looking for Akana, but the place was hopping. Dancing around a somewhat distressed waiter, she continued her search. A few minutes later, she was rewarded with a congenial wave.

"Good afternoon, Kuzana-san." Akana greeted.

"Yes, good afternoon to you too, Shizukami-san." Nataki replied as she settled into the seat across from her in the booth. "I'm sorry I'm late."

Akana shook her head dismissively and then gestured for her to order a drink or something if she so desired, indicating the waitress approaching their table.

"Good afternoon, ladies. My name is Chloe, and I'll be serving you." She introduced herself. "Can I get you two started with some drinks?" She asked with a polite smile.

"I'll just have a water, please." Nataki said softly. "No lemon."

"Make that two, please." Akana stated before adding, "Mine with a lemon."

"Sure thing. I'll be back with your waters shortly." The waitress replied before disappearing into the crowd.

Silence filled the space between them momentarily. Just as Nataki was about to engage in small talk Akana decided to break the ice.

"So you're probably wondering why I wanted to speak with you in private."

Nataki nodded and waited for her to continue.

Just then, the waitress returned with their waters. "There you are." She said while setting them down on the table. "Would you ladies like a few minutes to look at the menu, or do you know what you'd like to order?"

Akana opened the menu for a moment and sighed. "I'll have a slice of the Tossed Salad Pizza, please."

"Okay, great." She said while taking the menu from her. Turning toward Nataki, the waitress asked, "And for you?"

Nataki had no idea how Akana had selected something so quickly when she hadn't even glimpsed at the menu. She decided to order light – she planned to order something when the others arrived so that they wouldn't know about her and Akana meeting early. It wasn't so much because she felt she had to keep that from them, but rather it would eliminate the questions that would come from learning about it. _And I still have no idea what she wants to talk me about . . . _"I'll have one order of garlic knots, please."

"Sure thing. I'll bring those orders out in a few." The waitress replied before heading toward the kitchen.

Once she was out of sight, Akana sighed before turning her attention to Nataki. "Well, I noticed that you seemed quite . . . taken aback by the history surrounding Duel Monsters, Kuzana-san."

Nataki grabbed her red tinted plastic cup of ice water and took a sip, trying to think of how to answer – she certainly hadn't expected to be asked _that_. "Yes, I was rather surprised. I guess I never realized that it had anything to do with Egyptian history."

Twirling a golden strand with her index finger Akana blinked. "Hmm, I suppose that's reasonable. Most enthusiasts of the game are aware of that, but. . ." Then, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms in front of her chest, continued, "So I'm assuming you aren't aware that Pegasus J. Crawford, the man who created Duel Monsters, was inspired to create the card game based on murals he found on the walls of Egyptian temples and tombs?"

Eyes wide, Nataki shook her head. "No, I never knew that!" Then, shifting a bit in her seat added, "What was on the murals?"

Akana's golden eyes grew a bit darker for a moment and her lips curved up into a smirk Nataki had never seen before. "Battles between Egyptian sorcerers, most likely. It was common for sorcerers to engage in battles by summoning monsters under their command to fight."

Nataki was about to take a sip of her water, but her mouth opened as she gasped, straw settling back into the water. "I'm sorry, I think I must have heard you wrong. Did you say . . . monsters?"

"Yes." She replied flatly.

"Like, actual monsters?"

Eyes glimmering with a sheen of excitement, Akana replied "What other kind is there?" Then, she removed the lemon from the side of her cup, squeezed the juice from it, and dropped the wedge into her drink before stirring it with the straw. Composing herself, she proceeded to say"Ancient Egyptians believed that humans and magic coexisted, and that the natural disasters, conflicts, and pain in the world were caused by demons of the heart, which manifested themselves as monsters."

Nataki felt a shiver run up the length of her spine at the thought. "Oh, that's . . . interesting."

"Is this conversation making you uncomfortable?" Akana asked suddenly.

Nataki was taken aback by the bluntness of her question. Not wanting to be rude, she shook her head. "No, it's not." Shifting again in her seat a bit, she continued "I just didn't know how . . . _dark_ the inspiration for the game was, that's all." Then, taking her raven strands out of the two pigtails she usually wore them in, Nataki began to run her fingers through them.

"So, sorcerers fought each other using the monsters?"

"According to the murals, yes."

"What did they look like?"

Her golden eyes looked at Nataki with a sort of cautious curiosity, and she pursed her lips thoughtfully as if considering her words carefully. "Well, the drawings are likely simplified versions of the monsters painted on the trading cards, I imagine. Pegasus took great care in recreating the carvings he found on the murals in an effort to preserve their authenticity to the best of his ability."

Just then, Nataki felt the compulsion to reach inside her purse. She retrieved her small, but now somewhat substantial stack of Duel Monsters cards. Gently, she began fanning them out on the table, at which Akana raised an eyebrow.

"My, you do seem quite . . . intrigued by all of this, don't you?" She queried, a hint of amusement in her tone.

Nataki's face flushed slightly at her comment. Maybe she _was_ overreacting. After all, it was just a card game, so did the inspiration behind it really matter that much? Yet as she listened to Akana discuss the connection between the card game and ancient Egyptian history, she felt compelled to hear more, practically convinced that the words she spoke, as well as the way she said them, suggested that the truth behind the game was dark. Akana seemed like the type of person who was well-versed in whatever interested her. On top of that, she had a what Nataki could only describe as a worldly presence – she felt like Akana was rich with knowledge and experience, perhaps more than she would ever have herself. It was entrancing to hear her speak, and impossible to look away from her as she did so.

"So, all of these monsters . . . were responsible for horrible things?" She asked suddenly while staring down at her cards – somewhat in disbelief at the possibility of some of them being evil.

Akana shrugged. "Unlikely. The ancient Egyptians believed that demons were born in the hearts of those who became corrupt. Anything born of an evil heart was said to be led to do evil things." Strumming her fingers across the table, she continued, "Yet, there were sorcerers who fought against those who became evil and commanded monsters in an effort to preserve righteousness and goodness, so I would say it's safe to say that the existence of something is neither good nor evil by itself. It is only through its actions can we label it as such."

Nataki placed her cards back onto the table and watched as Akana placed her finger on one of the monster cards at random. Holding it between her index and middle fingers, she smiled.

"Let's use your 'Blackland Fire Dragon' as an example. By itself, this creature is neither inherently good or evil – it just is." Then, she pulled the card closer to her chest. "Say I am the one who controls this monster, and my intentions to use this monster are purely . . . evil. The monster, then, would be considered evil." Slowly moving her hand across the table and stopping once she was a few inches in front of Nataki's chest, she continued. "However, say that you control this monster, and you intend to . . . put an end to my evil ways. The monster, then, would not be considered evil."

Nataki retrieved her card back from Akana and stared down at it for a moment, soaking in her words.

"Does that make sense?" Akana tried.

"Yes, I think so." Nataki said softly.

"The realm of magic holds true to this concept – Egyptians believed in different types of magic, but didn't necessary label one type as innately good or evil. Only the humans who used it could be labeled as such."

Nataki nodded.

"Is this too much?" Akana asked suddenly.

"I guess a little much." She replied, a sheepish smile on her face. "It's just . . . there's a lot more to this game than I ever thought there could be." A pause. "And how do you know all of this, Shizukami-san?"

Stopping to take another sip of her water, Akana smiled. "I told you, I'm incredibly engrossed in the realm of Egyptology." Looking down at the remainder of Duel Monsters cards splayed out on the table, she inquired "Do you find this . . . interesting, Kuzana-san?"

Nataki nodded. "I do." A pause. "I guess I'm still unsure as to why you would rather share this information with just me instead of waiting to share it with Yugi and the others. I'm sure they would be really interested to hear about it, too."

Akana said nothing in response at first. She looked pensive though – Nataki could tell she was thinking over the next few words that came out of her mouth carefully. After a brief moment of silence, she finally replied.

"Well, of the entire group, you seemed the most surprised by what I said at lunch, so I figured I would provide you with some background knowledge before traveling to the museum with them." Eyes flickering with a hint of irritation, she continued. "I mean, surely you don't want to feel . . . out of place amongst the group, or unable to participate in the conversations they have about the game."

Nataki looked up from her cards and shot Akana a surprised expression. She certainly hadn't anticipated such a response from Akana, whose tone of voice and facial expression seemed the slightest bit . . . insulted by Nataki questioning her reasoning.

"Oh." She squeaked. "I guess that didn't really occur to me . . ."

Stacking her cards before rubber-banding them together and placing them back inside her purse, she added, "Well, thank you Shizukami-san. I appreciate you trying to help me. But you didn't have to go out of your way like this."

Akana's eyes softened slightly. Biting her bottom lip slightly, she proceeded to open her mouth to say something . . . but then the waitress returned with their orders.

"Here you are – one slice of tossed salad pizza," She said while placing it in front of Akana. "And for you," she continued while turning to Nataki, "one order of garlic knots with some marinara sauce on the side."

"Thank you." Akana stated congenially.

"Yes, thanks so much." Nataki said while her eyes fixated on the golden brown garlic knots in front of her, steam still rising up slightly from them.

"You're welcome. Enjoy!" And with that, she left to check on other tables.

Just as she was about to reach for one of her garlic knots, Nataki saw Akana's eyes watching her in earnest and stopped.

"Do not apologize. I am merely looking out for your best interest – I want you to get as much as possible out of this trip to the museum, is all."

Nataki smiled upon noticing that her tone and demeanor had returned to being calm, cool, and collected. "Well, thank you. That's very thoughtful of you."

"Of course." A pause. "I am looking forward to looking at the exhibits with you, and answering any additional questions you may have to the best of my abilities."

Nataki' nodded pleasantly. She wasn't one to let bad feelings linger, or harbor them inside her. She much preferred to move on and enjoy the rest of the day . . . and the garlic knots in front of her. Grabbing one, she proceeded to dip it in the marinara sauce and take a bite. "Oh my goodness these are SO GOOD." Then, practically shoving her plate across the table, added "Would you like one?"

Akana chuckled lightly. "No thank you." Proceeding to take a small bite off the end of her slice of pizza, continued "But they smell delicious."

* * *

The remainder of time leading up to the arrival of Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu, Honda, and Haine went by rather quickly, and the conversation became more fluid and natural. Nataki brought up the end of the first term, which was fast approaching, the weather, the trailer for a new romance movie that would be coming out in the fall, and other mundane topics. Akana seemed satisfied with the course the conversation had taken, for the time being, anyway. Still, Nataki couldn't help wondering if there was something else waiting in the wings. Akana had the same calm, poised composure as she usually did, but something about the way her golden eyes looked suggested she was restless. Nataki couldn't quite place why, but she definitely sensed it.

So, when the rest of the group arrived, Nataki let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, feeling relieved by their company.

"Hey you guys!" She greeted them, while Akana waved politely.

"Hey Nat-chan!" Anzu replied with a smile.

"When did you two get here?" Jounouchi asked.

"Slightly before you, apparently." Akana interjected before Nataki could answer. "We reserved a table." Nataki looked at Akana briefly only to catch a glimpse of a wink.

"Wow, thanks!" Honda exclaimed. "You did us a solid, that's for sure. This place is a zoo!"

"Well, it _is_ the weekend." Yugi suggested. "And this pizza parlor is fairly new still."

"Way to point out the obvious." Haine spat while proceeding over toward Nataki and slumping down into the vacant seat next to her. She eyed Akana briefly before playfully flicking Nataki on the head. "Well, I'm starving. Let's order something already."

* * *

As the group traveled in the direction of the museum, which was only a few blocks away, conversation was light and revolved mostly around the pizza – Honda and Jounouchi kept going on and on about how awesome it was. When the Domino City Museum came into view, Nataki gazed at it with eyes filled with both curiosity and caution. She peered over in the direction of Akana, whose face showed no indication of anything – she had become quiet upon the arrival of Yugi and company. The museum itself appeared to have a simple elegance to it – stone columns, large windows, multiple levels for exhibits – but upon entering it had an entirely different feeling that almost seemed overwhelming. While perhaps best known for its newly added "Art of Egypt" exhibit, the museum contained artifacts and remnants reflecting the histories of many different cultures – some embedded in Japan's history, and others in those of different countries.

"Wow, it's so big!" Nataki exclaimed while looking around.

"It really is!" Anzu remarked. "To be honest, I've never walked through the entire museum."

"Well, we could take some time to look around at stuff we haven't seen." Honda suggested.

Yugi, who had been speechless upon entering, turned toward him. "We could do that."

"But what about the Duel Monsters stuff?" Haine piped up.

As if on cue, a tall woman clad in a cream colored robe-like dress emerged from behind a crowd of people checking out the mural of Egyptian art near the entrance.

"Welcome, Yugi." Her soft voice greeted. "I see you and your friends have returned. I haven't seen you since the Battle City finals. You all look well."

"Hello, Isis-san." Yugi replied. "You do as well." Then, gesturing to Nataki, Akana, and Haine, he continued. "These are some our friends from school interested in learning more about Egyptian history."

The woman's clear blue eyes looked over in their direction. When she caught a glimpse of Akana, her eyes widened slightly, surprise shattering her composure for a brief moment before returning to their original calm state. Akana noticed this momentary lapse and gazed at Isis expectantly, but said nothing.

Walking over toward them, she introduced herself properly. "Friends of Mutou, Yugi, my name is Ishtar, Isis. I am the director of the Bureau of Archaeology in Egypt, and the creator of the 'Art of Egypt' mural exhibition being held currently in this museum." Holding out her hand in greeting, she added "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Nataki smiled and shook her hand. "My name's Kuzana, Nataki. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ishtar-san."

"Likewise." Haine said while following suit.

Akana hesitated a moment before returning the gesture. "Yes, it's a pleasure. I'm Shizukami, Akana." Looking at her with what Nataki could only describe as a fleeting familiarity that seemed unfitting for a first encounter, she continued "Your research in Egyptology is very thoughtful and intriguing."

The woman's lips curved upward into a small, but sincere smile. "Why thank you. I am pleased you find it so interesting." Then, turning toward the group as a whole, began anew. "Well, please do enjoy yourselves." And with that, she bowed and proceeded to disappear down a staircase leading to what Nataki imagined was the basement.

"Well, shall we get started?" Haine asked suddenly. "This place is huge, so we'd better start looking now."

The group agreed and set to exploring the exhibits, reading interesting facts and figures about the daily lives, customs, and folklore surrounding ancient Egyptian life. Akana was especially engrossed in it all, and found herself commenting on almost everything and ending her banter with "It's incredible, really." or "Truly fascinating, isn't it?" After about three commentaries, Haine pretended to strangle herself, at which Nataki smacked her on the shoulder and shot her a 'Stop it.' look. The rest of the gang, however, seemed truly impressed by Akana's knowledge base, and it was this very tidbit about her that led to her unspoken acceptance into the group. When she was talking about Egypt, Akana seemed like a different person . . . and Nataki did feel compelled to ask her questions, lots of them, actually. Akana would always smile and welcome them, from Nataki and the rest of the group.

* * *

A couple hours later, everyone was feeling tired and ready to go home. Nataki thanked everyone for showing her around. Just as she was about to follow them to the entrance, she felt Haine pull her back.

"What is it, Haine-chan?" She wondered.

"Look!" She exclaimed while pointing toward the staircase leading to the basement. A white sign was posted on the door at the bottom of the stairs that read 'Keep Out.' Haine raised an eyebrow curiously and started walking down the stairs toward it.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Nataki gasped. "We can't go down there!"

"Pssh, aren't you the least bit curious what's down here?" She asked. "I'll bet it some secret tomb or something."

"Even if it is, we can't go down there Haine-chan!"

"Oh come on, Nat." She spat. "It'll be fine."

Standing in front of the door, Haine looked like she was about to open it, but then pressed her ear to it instead. After a moment, she waved to Nataki to come join her.

Nataki swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't have a good feeling about it, but she had to get Haine back up the stairs anyway so they could leave . . .

"I hear something." She whispered. "It sounds like two people talking."

Nataki cautiously placed her ear against the door. Haine was right – she could hear two soft, feminine voices conversing on the other side, and gasped upon recognizing that one of them was Akana's.

"Crap, that's Shizukami talking!" Haine stated, coming to the same realization as Nataki had. "What the heck is she doing down there? And who is she talking to?"

Nataki shook her head. "I have no idea." Backing away from the door, she pulled at Haine. "And it's none of our business, so let's go Haine-chan."

"But-"

The voices behind the door stopped, and in their place the sound of two pairs of approaching footsteps followed.

"Crap!" Haine cursed under hear breath. "Let's go!"

Without looking behind them, Nataki and Haine bolted up the staircase and through the entrance of the museum. They stopped a moment to catch their breath.

"Geez that was close."

"Too close." Nataki emphasized. "What were you thinking?"

"I dunno." She admitted flatly. "I just wanted to check it out."

Nataki shook her head.

"Well, anyway, I guess we should head home." Haine started again. "I've still got some homework to finish."

Nataki moaned at realizing she still had some left to finish up as well. "Yeah, me too."

Smiling, Haine patted her on the shoulder before heading off down the street. Just as Nataki was about to do the same, she heard the door to the museum open, followed promptly by Akana's voice.

"Oh, you're still here Kuzana-san?"

Nataki turned around to face her. "Oh, yeah." Pondering a moment, she added "I thought maybe we could walk home together?"

Akana looked at her thoughtfully and then gave her a small smile. "That was sweet of you. Thanks."

Nataki nodded. As they started walking down the streets of Domino, Nataki suddenly wondered where Akana lived. Almost as if reading her thoughts, Akana spoke up.

"I live in Kaika Hana apartment complex."

Nataki blinked. "Oh. Where is that exactly?"

Akana smiled faintly. "It's about twenty minutes from Domino High School, past the convenience deli and Chi's Hair Salon."

"On, I know where those are." Nataki replied. "That's not too bad."

"How about you?" She asked, her eyes fixated on the sky.

"I'm currently renting in the Ao Taki complex, which more or less the same distance from the school except it's a bit more . . . out of the way, I guess?"

Akana nodded.

When they came to the split in their journey, Nataki bid her goodnight and proceeded on her way home. The night air felt refreshing as Nataki headed in the direction of her apartment. Questions danced through her mind, but she was far too tired to ponder them long enough to get answers. When she finally made it back, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, hoping to get some of the reading homework done. Fighting back the yawns, she read as much as she could before resigning herself to a good night's sleep, but feeling somewhat doubtful she would be able to fall asleep easily with all the new information plaguing her thoughts. And then there was the fact that Akana had been talking with someone downstairs at the museum . . .

_I wonder what she was talking about. _She thought to herself as she settled into her pillow. _And who she was talking to. I guess it's none of my business, but . . . _With a yawn, Nataki decided it was best not to dwell on it, and embraced sleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello! As I'm sure you noticed, this chapter had a very different "feel" to it – that's because the plot is entering. A lot of thought and research went into this chapter – I actually re-watched some of the episodes from the beginning of the Battle City arc to make sure I got my facts straight . . . I hope I'm doing a good job maintaining continuity – it's more work than you might imagine!

Stay tuned for more, and as always, I would love to hear your thoughts so take some time to leave a review! :)

_FYI:_

Isis is pronounced "Ishizu" and her actual name in the Japanese version is written as "Isis," so that's why I went with that

Kaika Hana = Blossoming Flowers

Ao Taki = Blue Waterfall


	19. Rough Patch

For the next week, Nataki's dreams were plagued by visions of terrifying duel monsters attacking the city. There were even a handful of dreams in which she was pursued by them and barely managed to escape. She partially blamed this phenomenon on her visit to the museum, but attributed the majority of it on what Akana had told her prior to traveling to the museum. Something about the way she had described it . . . perhaps the zealous look in her eyes as she had spoke, or the slightest hint of allure in her voice. Whatever the case, Akana's words had affected her deeply, and while Nataki didn't consciously dwell on them, they invaded her dreams . . . which made it harder for her to stay asleep, which made her more tired, which in turn made studying for finals and working seemingly impossible.

Unfortunately for her, Nataki found studying for her upcoming finals a tedious undertaking that demanded more of her time than she felt capable of devoting to it. As her academics took center stage, her income began to dwindle . . . and as much as she tried to appear as if nothing had changed in her daily life, her friends had started to notice that something had.

"Hey Nataki-chan!" Yugi greeted with a smile, as the others acknowledged her with a wave.

"Hi guys!" She replied, plopping herself down into a vacant seat.

"How are you holding up?" Anzu asked, at which Nataki knew she was referring to her preparation for finals.

"Good." She replied while half-heartedly retrieving an apple and a small snack bag of almonds from her lunch box.

"Really? 'Cuz it seems like your lunches are shrinking lately . . ." Jounouchi gasped while staring somewhat mortified at her snacks. Then, poking her gently on the forehead, added "And so are you!"

"Everything okay?" Honda chimed in.

"I am _not_ shrinking!" She retorted with a slight panic in her voice. Then, composing herself continued "And yeah, I'm fine. I've just had a lot on mind lately with studying for finals, so I haven't been getting that much sleep."

Akana, who had asked the same questions earlier that day and had received similar responses from her, sighed while shaking her head. "You needn't stress over the exams, Kuzana-san." She reminded her. "You will be fine, I am sure of it."

Nataki's cheeks flushed slightly, feeling embarrassed that Akana felt the need to reassure her. More than anything, Nataki hated being a burden, but she felt like a sponge that had become saturated with stress. Nodding briefly, she then took a bite of her apple before replying with, "Thanks Shizukami-san. That means a lot."

Despite her honest attempt to shake the concern off the faces of her friends, Nataki realized that they were still worried about her. After another moment, she felt like it was time to leave. _Just because I'm having a hard time getting a grip on things doesn't mean they should have to see it. _So, she put the Ziploc bag of almonds back into her lunch box and gripped her bitten apple tightly.

"Thanks everyone for the support. It means so much to me." She smiled. "I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back in a few."

Before anyone could make the offer to join her, Nataki had bowed politely and proceeded out the door, lunchbox in one hand, apple in the other.

"Should we go after her?" Honda asked.

Akana stared in the direction of the door a moment longer, letting her gold eyes linger, before providing a response. "No." A pause as she firmly sealed the container holding her lunch. "Clearly, Kuzana-san desires space, and we should respect that."

The gang looked at her solemnly, still somewhat unconvinced, at which Akana added, "She will come back when she is ready . . . or when lunchtime ends – whichever happens first." Then, she initiated small talk to lighten the mood – asking about studying, summer plans, and anything else of interest. But even the gang could tell her attention was still preoccupied with Nataki's absence.

* * *

Sitting on the bleachers, Nataki found herself feeling more at ease. While she loved being with her friends – she was by no means a loner – she realized that she needed the space away from them to sit and try to string together a game plan without worrying about how anxious it made them. Their concern for her, while touching, actually exacerbated her own fears of staying afloat and ending the first term on a high note. They meant well, surely, and she loved them dearly . . . but at the moment, Nataki just needed to figure things out without the gravity of her dilemma intensifying through their comments of concern.

"Okay," She said aloud to no one in particular before taking another bite of her apple. "I've got tests in bio and algebra to study for next week, and the week after that is history and English. I'm about . . . oh, two hundred dollars short of being able to pay my rent for next month, and cutting back on groceries doesn't seem to be helping as much as I was hoping it would . . . and I'm kind of hungry." A pause. "But, on the positive side I should be able to earn the remainder of my rent during the next two weeks, and Haine-chan and Shizukami-san agreed to meet up to form a study group this weekend, so that should help . . ." Nataki lowered her head for a moment and looked down at the grass at her feet. _It'll work. It's got to work. I'll make it work . . . somehow._

"Hnn, back to eating lunch at the bleachers again, I see?" A familiar voice scoffed.

With a quick raise of her head Nataki noticed that Kaiba was standing in front of her, one hand holding onto his silver briefcase, the other resting in the pocket of his pants.

"Kaiba-san . . ." She replied, surprise seated upon her face. "I didn't know you were in school today."

Nonchalantly seating himself next to her and dropping his briefcase on the ground by his feet, the CEO rolled his eyes. "I wasn't, but then the damn teacher emailed me with a reminder that I have to attend the next two weeks in preparation for finals." With a look of sheer revulsion, he added "Like I don't have more important things to do."

Nataki shot him a sympathetic look. "Well, I'm sure your teacher just wants to make sure you do well."

Raising an eyebrow, Kaiba looked at her dubiously. "Right. I'm sure I'm on his radar for academic concern." With a scoff of disgust he continued, "The man should be worried about that damn mutt Jounouchi, and the rest of the dweeb patrol, not self-sufficient, successful students like myself. It's an insult to have to attend half of the classes, really."

Nataki ignored his reference to her friends and looked down at her feet swinging back and forth just above the ground, her shoes barely scuffing the dirt. "Well, it's only two weeks." A pause. "It'll go fast, I'm sure."

Kaiba gave a dismissive snort before turning his body so that he was facing her. "Well anyway," He started anew, brushing a few of his brunette bangs away from his eyes. "Why aren't you eating lunch with the nerd herd?"

She winced at hearing him refer to them in such a derogatory way a second time, but then her attention shifted to the fact that he was asking her about . . . well, her. _Why . . .?_

"Oh, well, I just needed some fresh air I guess."

"And they didn't come with you?" He inquired. "Some 'friends' of yours."

Nataki shook her head and took another bite of her apple. "They're great friends, and I'm sure they thought about it, but I told them I would be back in a bit . . ."

Kaiba narrowed his cobalt blue eyes and gazed at her curiously. "Okay . . ." Then, looking away from her at the soccer field added, "Well, I'm assuming that if you wanted to be away from your friends, then my presence here certainly isn't desired either." Standing up from his spot on the bleacher, he proceeded to leave until . . .

"You don't have to leave." She said, a slight stutter in her throat as the words emerged. "I just don't feel like talking, that's all."

If Kaiba had been mildly interested before, he seemed even more so now. "Really?"

Nataki didn't say anything more – she just continued to eat her apple in silence and stare out at the soccer field. While the CEO generally welcomed silence, embraced it even, it felt uncomfortable when it came from her. The girl was usually so bubbly and upbeat and talkative, spewing happy thoughts and kindness like word vomit from her mouth. It was so damn annoying, and yet . . .

"So life's getting tough – everyone has felt that way at some point." He said finally.

Nataki blinked and turned to face him. She shot him a "Why are you still talking to me?" look, but then decided to humor him. It wasn't as if he was overly sympathetic to her situation, so it wasn't actually making her feel worse about it, but . . .

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"Then stop dwelling on it, and start expending the energy and time you waste worrying about it on actually fixing it."

At hearing his words her eyes widened slightly and her mouth clenched shut, sealing in the piece of apple she had just bit off. She was speechless, really – completely taken aback by his blatant disregard for the work involved in his suggestion. "I'm not dwelling on it." She said finally. "And you make it sound like it's a simple fix when it's not."

Kaiba stared at her for a moment before acknowledging her with a response. "Enlighten me then."

Nataki felt herself becoming frustrated by his interrogative demeanor. _I don't need to explain myself to him. Why won't he just let me eat my lunch in peace?_ Before she let her anger boil up inside her, she took one more solid bite out of her apple, which was now a core, and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Then, she stood up from the bleacher about to leave . . . and he stopped her.

"What?" She asked louder than she had meant to.

"I'm waiting." He stated flatly.

Unable to bite her tongue anymore, Nataki asked "What does it matter to _you_, Kaiba-san?" Then, standing her ground, looked up at him with a boldness she could only conjure from deep inside herself when it was absolutely necessary, continued "It's not like you'd understand, anyway."

"Try me." He retorted, his tone serious, eyes fixated on her face.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked finally, composure practically gone. And then, realizing he wouldn't leave her alone until she acquiesced to his demand, began "Fine. You really want to know?" Pacing back and forth in front of him, she started "I'm behind on bills, I'm struggling with studying for finals, and for the past week, I've gotten maybe two day's worth of sleep." Eyes unable to look at him anymore – partially because she was infuriated that he had forced her to talk about what was bothering her when her own friends hadn't, and partly because she felt ashamed by her inability to withhold her feelings. She never wanted to come across as being weak, especially to someone like him. "Satisfied?" And then she felt it – that familiar stinging sensation on her cheeks, followed by wetness. _Tears._ She gasped. _I'm crying._ She could see it on his face – the realization that she had worked herself up into tears – and his eyes widened ever so slightly in shock. Clearly he hadn't expected that reaction from her. Before he could open his mouth to say anything Nataki had took off in the direction of the school building. _I cried. I cried in front of him. Oh god, why . . ._

* * *

As she made her way into the first female restroom she found, Nataki felt herself holding in a small sob. Locking herself in a stall, she closed the lid over the toilet and sat herself on top of it. For the next five minutes of lunch, Nataki sat and let the tears flow, feeling sick to her stomach over the whole thing and wishing she could move on and forget about it, but knowing herself well enough to realize she wouldn't be able to completely. Then, she realized that she had forgotten her lunchbox. _Oh crap, I must have left it on the bleachers. But I can't go back there, not now . . ._

A few minutes later, lunch had ended, and thankfully Nataki had been able to regain some of her calm, cool, and collected demeanor. Just to make sure her friends didn't realize she had been crying, she quickly applied some makeup to touch up her face before returning to class 1-A. As she walked in, Akana's eyes followed her with a hint of concern in them. Haine shot Nataki a look that asked "Everything okay?" Nataki nodded and took her seat in front of her. She said nothing throughout the remainder of the day.

By the time the school day had ended, Nataki just wanted to go home. She was feeling mentally exhausted, but knew she had to head over toward the cafe and snag a couple hours – her boss had been willing to give her some overtime, and hell or high water she was going to take advantage of it. Waving goodbye to Haine and Akana, Nataki quickly made her way out the door, able to avoid them and the questions they would likely have. _It's not them, it's me. _Briskly walking down the streets toward Momo no Ki Cafe, Nataki's guilt began to plague her. _It's not their fault I can't seem to get a grip on all this. _Three intersections down, four more to go. _They shouldn't have to see me like this . . . come on Nataki, get it together! _And sooner than she thought, she had arrived at her destination.

* * *

Work had given Nataki the relief she needed. While she was interacting with customers, they were strangers to her and didn't care to know about her problems. They were blissfully ignorant of anything other than their own wants and needs, which was just what she needed – no one expressing their concern for her or asking her to talk about her problems . . . and then her phone went off once, twice, three times. When her break time arrived, Nataki proceeded to check her phone only to see that Akana had left her a voicemail insisting that she call her back if she wanted to talk, while Haine and Anzu had sent her text messages with the same basic sentiment. Nataki smiled to herself and promised to respond to them when she got home later on. She didn't want to worry any of them anymore than she already had.

Three hours later it was almost near the end of her shift when her phone buzzed again. While wiping down a table, Nataki peered at her phone and noticed a new text message, but it was from a number she didn't recognize. She almost assumed it was sent to her by mistake, but upon opening it realized it was from Kaiba.

"You left your lunchbox on the bleacher. I have it, and will return it to you at lunch tomorrow." with the initials "S. K." at the bottom.

Nataki felt her heart shudder at the thought of having to face him the next day. She had been planning on staying in her classroom for lunch, but now she would have to see him to get her lunchbox back. Questions shot through her mind at rapid speed. How did he get her cell phone number? Had he asked Yugi for it? If so, had he mentioned what had happened to them? She tried to be reasonable with herself – since when did Kaiba talk to them about anything? He usually chose not to interact with the group aside from making condescending remarks, so he probably hadn't said anything about her outburst. Then again, if he had come back to the classroom with her lunchbox . . .

Swallowing the lump that had formed in the back of her throat, she put her phone back into her purse and continued to wipe down the table. _Should I send a reply? _She wondered. _But if I do, that'll just invite the possibility of him sending something back . . . _Nataki shook her head. _I guess I should let him know I received it though . . . _

When her shift finally ended, Nataki had been so exhausted from the day that she went home, showered, and found herself falling asleep while trying to study, forgetting all about replying to her friends, and Kaiba.


	20. The Offer

It wasn't until she was on her way to school that Nataki remembered she hadn't replied to her friends' texts and phone calls. She was feeling quite awful about it, but decided the best thing to do at this point was to just apologize to them in person.

Just as she was walking into her classroom, Haine spotted her and shot Nataki a somewhat perturbed look.

"Hey, what gives?" She asked before Nataki even had a chance to say anything.

"I'm so sorry, Haine-chan." She bowed her head apologetically. "I meant to text you back as soon as I got home, but I ended up falling asleep."

"You had me worried, you know." Haine retorted. "You come back from lunch by yourself looking like you had just been crying, then you darted off to work so quickly that I didn't have a chance to talk to you."

Nataki looked down at her feet. "I know." Then, looking up at Haine guiltily, added "I'm really sorry for worrying you. I'm just feeling really stressed lately."

Haine shook her head as if disappointed. "Nat, I already told you that you'll do fine on the exams."

Nataki nodded. While her stress stemmed from factors far beyond that of school, she wasn't going to tell Haine that. She had already made the mistake of opening up to a certain CEO – after practically being forced to, that is. "Thanks Haine-chan."

"And we're going to study together this weekend, so chill out already! _You_ stressing out about all this is starting to stress _me_ out!"

Nataki swallowed a lump in her throat. "Okay, fair enough."

Haine could tell that she was still tense, and let out a sigh before patting Nataki on the back. "You're gonna be okay." She said reassuringly. "I don't have any doubts about that at all."

Smiling at the heartfelt gesture, Nataki wrapped her arms around Haine, hugging her briefly before letting go and saying "Thanks Haine-chan. That's just what I needed to hear."

"You're welcome." Then, turning toward the entrance to the classroom, Haine noticed Akana walk in and set her school bag down onto her seat. Sensing Haine's eyes on her, she looked over and, upon seeing Nataki, approached the two of them.

"Good morning, Kuzana-san. Suzude-san." She greeted.

Haine acknowledged her with a nod, while Nataki returned the greeting before adding, "I apologize for not calling you back last night. I meant to, but-"

"Damn, how many people did you blow off last night?" Haine interrupted with a half-joking , at which Nataki's face flushed.

"You needn't apologize." Akana said softly. "I assumed that either something had come up, or you were feeling better."

Nataki smiled. "Well, I did appreciate it, so thank you."

Akana smiled, her gold eyes glimmering slightly. "You're welcome." A pause. "So, are you feeling a bit better today?"

"Yes, somewhat." Nataki answered in earnest. "I still feel uneasy about the exams, but I'm looking forward to meeting up with you and Haine-chan this weekend to study together."

"You will do well, I'm sure." Akana replied while looking at Haine, who shot her an 'I just told her that, but she doesn't believe me' look. "And I can see that Suzude-san agrees with me."

"I wish I had as much confidence in myself as you two seem to have in me!" Nataki confessed, a sheepish smile on her face. "But I'll certainly do my best – you can count on it!"

Haine smirked in agreement, while Akana shot her a sincere smile. _If they believe in me, then I have to believe in myself._

* * *

Lunchtime arrived, and for the first time ever Nataki had been dreading it. Aside from having to face her friends, who she had pretty much left without much of an explanation, she was assuming Kaiba would be there, too. She wondered if he had said anything to Yugi and the gang and, if so, _what_ he had told them. While walking down to 2-B, Haine and Akana trailing closely behind, Nataki shuddered at the thought. Still, it was a new day – she would confront him and the group with as much poise as she could muster. _I just can't have a repeat of yesterday. That's not who I am._

Upon entering the room, Nataki saw the eyes of her friends collectively glance in her direction, followed by the same welcoming smiles they always seemed to be wearing when she came.

"Hi everyone." Nataki greeted, standing with her hands firmly clasped in front of her. Not wanting to put off the inevitable she continued "I'm really sorry about disappearing yesterday. I guess I've just been more stressed than usual . . ."

Yugi shook his head in understanding. "It's okay, Nataki-chan." Then smiling gently added, "Everyone gets stressed from time to time."

"Yeah, if you need some space, then go." Jounouchi stated flatly. "It's not like we took it personal or anything."

"We were just worried when you didn't come back . . ." Honda interjected.

"Thank you, and I am sorry for worrying you all." Nataki said softly before looking directly at Anzu, who had been listening attentively. "And I apologize for not texting you back, Anzu-chan. I meant to . . ."

Anzu shook her head. "Don't worry about." Then, shooting her a concerned smile "I just figured it couldn't hurt to see how you were doing."

Haine nudged Nataki playfully. "See? You have lots of people that care about you, do-do."

Nataki nodded. "And that means so much to me. Thank you, everyone." Then, upon glancing over in the direction of Kaiba's desk, discovered that he wasn't there. _He said he had to come to school because of the exams, but maybe he's eating his lunch at the bleachers. _She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she settled herself into the usual desk she took. _Thank goodness._

"Oh, Nataki-chan that reminds me . . ." Yugi said suddenly while reaching into his schoolbag. After a brief moment, he was holding a small lunch box . . . _her_ lunch box, to be exact. Nataki's eyes widened slightly at seeing it. "Kaiba-kun said he found this on the bleachers yesterday."

"O-Oh." Her throat became dry and she nodded. _So he __**did**__ talk to them . . ._

Yugi smiled while handing it back to her. "It's a good thing it has your name on it, or else who knows where it would have ended up!" A pause. "Well, anyway, he asked me to return it to you."

Nataki exhaled deeply at hearing those words. _Is that all? Oh thank God. _Clutching the lunch box a bit more tightly than she had meant to, she laughed sheepishly. "I was in such a funk yesterday I must have forgot it!" Then, running her fingers along the sides of the container continued, "I'll have to thank him."

Akana, whose eyes had narrowed at hearing this, leaned back in her seat. She said nothing, but was clearly annoyed by the mentioning of the man. Nataki shot her a curious expression, at which she merely sighed and continued eating her grapes. Remembering the girl's first and only interaction with the CEO, Nataki still couldn't help wondering why she seemed so uptight and appalled at the mere mention of him.

Changing the topic in hopes of alleviating the tension she saw in Akana's golden eyes and overall demeanor, Nataki asked about how the rest of them were feeling about exams, and how studying was going. Akana looked over at her with what appeared to be an appreciative smile and continued to eat her lunch in silence, speaking only when spoken to, and commenting when called upon to do so.

* * *

The end of the school day arrived, and Nataki was on her way to work when she remembered that she had still not replied to Kaiba or thanked him for giving her lunch box to Yugi. While stopped at a crosswalk, she sent a quick text that contained an apology and expression of gratitude. Shortly after, the pedestrian light appeared, and she hurried across while tucking her cell phone back into her purse. A few blocks down the street, she felt its vibration from inside her purse. Upon retrieving it once more from her purse, Nataki saw that he had replied – his message read

"Did you check inside it?"

She blinked. _Check inside . . . my lunch box? Why?_

Reaching inside her school bag, Nataki felt it leaning against her mathematics text book. Returning her attention to the message awaiting her reply, she texted back "No, I haven't." Then, sent another text immediately after. "On my way to work – will check when I get there." Then, she shoved her phone back into her purse and hastily darted across the next crosswalk.

* * *

During her scheduled break at work, Nataki retrieved her lunch box from her school bag and proceeded to open it rather hesitantly, wondering what the CEO would have put inside it. Much to her surprise it was a corporate envelope with her name written on it. Slowly she ran her finger across the top, opening it with care, not sure as to what would be inside, only to find what appeared to be some sort of note written on what she assumed was his professional business stationary. As she unfolded it she could make out the "KC" logo imprinted at the top left and bottom right corners. Slowly, she read it to herself:

"I have a proposition I would like to discuss with you regarding your current employment status. Please respond at your earliest convenience."

with the initials "S. K." at the bottom.

Nataki was speechless, completely taken aback by what she had read. _He wants to discuss my employment?_ A sudden surge of questions flooded her mind. _Why . . . ? Was it something I said yesterday? But why would any of that matter? _Taking a sip of the iced tea she had bought, she tried to compose herself – she still had a couple hours left of work, and she needed to be focused on her job, not distracted by what he had written in that note. Tucking it deep inside one of the inner pockets of her school bag, Nataki decided she would deal with whatever _that_ was about later.

* * *

After a nice hot shower, Nataki had changed into a comfortable T-shirt and pair of shorts, poured herself a glass of water, and settled down onto her bed. Her fingers held securely to the letter, causing it to crinkle and crease in her hands. Glancing over at the glaring red numbers on her alarm clock that read 10:55 PM, Nataki decided that it was still a reasonable to text Kaiba back. Eyes staring at the blinking line awaiting input, Nataki wondered what she should say to him. Honestly, she just wanted to move on from her outburst the previous day, but felt that she would likely be digging her own grave. Still, she had told him that she would get back to him. _And I always stay true to my word. _After a heavy sigh, she proceeded to formulate a reply.

"Hi. I received your note." A pause. "If it's about yesterday, please forget I said anything. I'm fine." Then she hit send and waited for a response – five minutes, ten minutes . . . and then, when she had given up hope of hearing back from the man, her phone buzzed.

"It has nothing to do with yesterday. It has recently come to my attention that I am in need of additional hands in the office, and I remembered how efficient you were volunteering here. If you're interested in a permanent secretarial position, let me know. I think it will be mutually beneficial, but I'll respect your decision either way."

_Oh . . ._ As she continued to stare at the words she could feel the weight of them bearing down on her. _He's offering **me** a permanent job at his company?_ Falling back against the pillows at the headrest of her bed, Nataki closed her eyes, considering her options. _Well, if I do take him up on the offer, I'll probably be working at a higher salary than I am now, and it'll give me even more of an opportunity to get to know him. _Turning onto her side so that she was staring at the wall, she continued her train of thought. _Although, I'd feel awful giving such short notice to my manager at the cafe, and what would Haine and the others think? I'm sure they would have their doubts, especially Shizukami-san . . . _

Nataki suddenly sat up in bed and sent a quick text back in response – she needed to bide some time to think it over carefully before making her decision.

"Thank you so much for the offer. I'll definitely consider and get back to you. Have a good night."

Hesitating a moment before hitting SEND, Nataki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. _I have to come to the decision on my own, I know that. _Reaching over to shut off the lamp on her bedside table, she sighed. _But even so, I want to see what my friends think of the idea . . . so I won't make my decision until I've heard what they have to say about it. _ Once she was resolved with her decision, Nataki closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N**: At this point, my goal is to make any character development/relationship-based chapters smaller than plot-centric ones. The end of the first term is upon us (thank goodness!) so the plot will take center stage very soon, at which point mundane/everyday life chapters will be very far and few between.

To all my readers, followers, reviewers . . . I just want to say 'Thank you!' for being patient and believing in the story. I am sure you will not be disappointed ;)

Please let me know what you think - even during chapters like these. Your words are the encouragement I need to update more frequently.


	21. The Decision

Mulling over the text Kaiba had sent her, Nataki found it nearly impossible to concentrate during class. Lunchtime couldn't come soon enough – she felt such a mixture of feelings regarding the job offer that she truly believed she needed to hear what her friends had to say in order to come to the right answer. _I'll listen to what each of them has to say, and my reaction to their insightful suggestions will help me determine whether or not I should take the job. _Nataki told herself while trying to refocus on the review lesson on English grammar. Suddenly, she saw a small paper ball land on her desk and nonchalantly picked it up and carefully began opening it, only to discover the letters "KMN" written on it in Haine's handwriting. Shaking her head, she quickly turned around to check on Haine, who looked terribly bored.

"You'll be fine." Nataki whispered.

"Pssh, speak for yourself." Haine replied just as softly. "If I don't make it . . . tell everyone I died a hero."

Nataki smiled playfully back before returning to face the chalkboard.

* * *

The sound of the bell ringing elicited a deep yawn from Haine, who proceeded to stand up from her seat and stretch.

"Oh god, that was painful." She moaned while inhaling deeply before breathing out. "I don't think I'm going to make it through next week."

Nataki rolled her eyes. "Yes, you will." Then, placing a firm hand on her shoulder, continued "And don't forget, we're in this together!"

"Yeah, yeah . . ." She replied before changing the topic. "So, you wanna head upstairs now?"

"Sure." Nataki said before grabbing her lunch box and proceeding over to Akana, who was seated at her desk writing down notes into her planner. Upon noticing Nataki and Haine, she looked up from her writing. "Hello you two." Akana greeted. "Heading to 2-B, I assume?"

"Yes! Would you like to come too, Shizukami-san?" Nataki asked congenially.

"Absolutely." She replied while closing her planner, sliding it into her school bag, and retrieving her lunch box. Standing up, she added "Shall we?"

* * *

Nataki took a deep breath as she walked into the room, bracing herself for the conversation she was about to have with her friends. After exchanging greetings and seating herself, she decided to dive right into the discussion she had been imagining since the previous night.

"Everyone, there's something I want to talk to you all about." She stated.

"Sure Nat-chan! What's up?" Anzu inquired while the rest of the gang waited for her to proceed.

"Kaiba-san offered me a job at his company, and I'm not sure if I should take it."

A collective gasp, followed abruptly by shocked expressions filled the space around her. Nataki shuddered at their reactions assuming that their disapproval would soon follow. Not sure who would be the first to reply, she proceeded to add "I mean, I think working there could potentially be a great opportunity, but I still have mixed feelings about it."

"I think that's a reasonable reaction to the offer." Yugi said softly. "Working at Kaiba Corp. will definitely offer you a higher salary, and the experience will look great on a resume."

Nataki nodded. "Yes, you're right Yugi-kun."

"Although . . ." Anzu chimed in, her eyes watching Nataki closely. "Dealing with Kaiba might not be worth what you have to gain – the benefits may not outweigh the cost."

"Yeah, we all know what a giant dickhead he can be . . ." Haine interjected suddenly, at which Jounouchi and Honda nodded in agreement.

"You guys . . ." Yugi retorted. "Kaiba-kun may be . . . difficult at times, but I don't think he's a tyrant."

"The guy already thinks he's better than everyone else, Yug. Don't you think if he HAD a position of power over someone he would abuse it?" Jounouchi barked.

"Yeah, Kaiba's always been high on himself. I can't imagine how crappy he must be as a boss when he gets upset." Honda pointed out.

Anzu shook her head. "He may be a power seeker, but I'm sure he's not unreasonable to his employees. I would imagine he's probably a strict, but fair boss."

"Pfft, yeah right! The guy doesn't even respect some of the _teachers _here! He has no respect for authority, so I doubt he has any for people who are literally subordinate to him." Haine spat in response.

As the group continued to debate the pros, but mostly cons of working for the CEO, Nataki realized that it would likely take a while to make any real progress with her decision. The conversation ricocheted back and forth and with it Nataki's feelings regarding the job offer. _One step forward, two steps backward . . . _

Yet amidst the clamor of the gang, Akana sat speechless, watching the rest of them engage in the discussion without commenting. Nataki already had a feeling that the girl's answer would be a resounding 'NO,' but felt the need to ask her . . . well, when the rest of the group had finished their discussion. To get their attention, Nataki cleared her throat and waited until all of their eyes were on her.

"So maybe it would be better if I ask each of you one at a time to tell me what you think instead." She suggested. "Should I take the job – yes or no?"

The King of Games opened his mouth to provide his answer, but was cut off by Haine's abrupt "Nope."

Nataki bit her bottom lip and then nodded. "Okay Haine-chan, why not?"

"Because I had enough to worry about when you were volunteering to work for him! I knew that, even if he was a shit to you, there was a clear end in sight. With this job . . ."

Nataki's eyes widened in horror as Haine realized her mistake a little too late. She placed her hand over her mouth and shot Nataki an 'Oh crap I forgot they didn't know that.' look at the sound of Jounouchi's audible gasp.

"You were _what_?!" He shrieked, causing several students in the front of the classroom to stop talking and turn around to see what the ruckus was about.

"Is that true?" Honda asked just as loudly.

Feeling quite embarrassed by their outbursts, Nataki merely nodded, eyes fixated on her feet,

"Why would _you_ ever volunteer to work for _him_?!" Jounouchi continued, clearly mortified by the idea of it.

"Well, I just thought that, since he helped me study for the makeup test I bombed in the beginning of the school year, I would return the favor by helping him at work." She said carefully, hoping to diffuse him in some way.

"But Nat, he didn't help you because he _wanted_ to, but because he _had_ to." Honda retorted, crossing his arms as if insulted she didn't remember that. "It was part of his punishment."

"Yeah Nat-chan, you didn't have to do anything in return." Anzu added softly.

"That's what I told her, too." Haine sighed. "But you know how she is – always reciprocating every iota of kindness she receives."

Nataki shifted her weight from one foot to the other, swaying a bit back and forth. Then, after finally looking up to meet their eyes, she replied "Yes, I genuinely wanted to pay him back for the ten hours he spent tutoring me. So I just helped out in his office until I had made up the time."

Yugi shot her a small smile. "That was very kind of you, Nataki-chan. I'm sure he appreciated it, seeing how busy he is most of the time."

Although Anzu, Haine, and Yugi seemed understanding of her reason for having volunteered, Jounouchi and Honda still seemed unconvinced that it had been a good idea in the first place. However, they sighed warily, as if saying 'What's done is done.' While Akana had not provided any sort of response, she looked on at Nataki with disapproving golden eyes practically glaring at her the entire time. Nataki swallowed hard upon noticing her gaze, and had quickly focused her attention elsewhere, hoping she would let up on the harshness in her demeanor.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. I guess it wasn't something permanent, so I figured it wasn't that big of a deal." She confessed.

"I would have to disagree with you, Kuzana-san." Akana finally spoke up, no longer able to stay quiet.

"What?" Nataki wondered.

"Clearly, you must have seen it as a 'big deal' if you felt the need to hide it from your friends . . ." Then, turning to look at Haine added, "Well, most of your friends, I suppose."

Nataki shook her head. "No, I just didn't want anyone worrying about it because it wasn't a big deal."

"Or were you trying to spare yourself having to listen to your friends' concern over the matter because, regardless of what any of us had to say, you would have still felt . . . obligated to him?" She shot back, voice calm and controlled, but words precise and sharp, causing Nataki to flinch in response, and the gang to look at Akana with disbelief at the sudden sting in her voice. Then, as if sensing the change she had created in the atmosphere around them, shook her head sadly. "Regardless, that is a matter of the past, and as such, no longer pertains to the context of _this_ conversation."

Nataki, completely taken aback by Akana's seemingly accusatory words, just stood there in silence. In fact, everyone was silent for a moment, not sure where to go from there. Haine looked genuinely shocked by Akana, who had proceeded to eat her lunch in silence as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't said a thing. The King of Games cleared his throat, hoping to bring the group back to where it belonged.

"Um, you were explaining why you don't think Nataki-chan should take the job, right Haine-san?"

Haine nodded slowly. "Yeah." Then looking directly at Nataki, who she knew well enough to imagine was on the verge of giving up on the conversation entirely, added "But only because I know how much of an asshole he _can_ be. It doesn't necessarily mean he _will_ be, and I know that. I guess I'm just over protective of you, do-do."

Nataki shot her a small smile in understanding. "I appreciate your honesty, Haine-chan. Thank you for your input." Turning her head to look at Yugi, who was seated with his hands clasped in front of him, she inquired "Well, what about you Yugi-kun?"

Brushing back the bright blonde bangs from his eyes, only to have them spring back into place, Yugi nodded. "Well, I think it could be a very good opportunity for you, Nataki-chan. And after hearing about your . . . past experience working with Kaiba-kun, I feel like you have an idea of how it will be to work for him permanently. I say go for it."

Haine narrowed her eyes at him before sighing loudly.

"Thank you Yugi-kun for a very thoughtful response." Nataki said appreciatively before looking at Anzu next.

"Hmm, Kaiba-kun can be rather . . . obnoxious at times. But like Yugi said, you already know that. And you do have a lot to gain from taking the job." She stated while holding a finger up in the air. "And if you really end up _hating_ it, who says you can't just quit? I think you would be fine though, so I say sure, take the job."

Nataki nodded, feeling more assured of her own ability to arrive at the right decision. "Thanks Anzu-chan!" Taking a deep breath, she gestured at Jounouchi to say his piece.

"Honestly, you know how I feel about Kaiba. I don't think anyone has much of anything to gain from him. It's better to just not deal with him altogether." He stated flatly while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "And besides, there are tons of other jobs you could find. First term is almost over, so you I'm sure you can find something you like better than what you're doing over the summer."

Nataki had anticipated an answer like that from him, but nodded all the same. "I understand where you're coming from. There are a lot of other jobs I could take." A pause. "Thank you, Jounouchi-kun."

"Of course." He replied before passing the metaphorical answer ball to Honda seated right next to him.

"I'd have to agree with Jounouchi. Kaiba's not the most approachable person, Nat. You should feel like you can talk to your employer about anything that needs to be addressed, and I imagine he can be an intimidating boss. You'd be better off working for someone who's actually easy to communicate with."

Nataki nodded reluctantly. "That's true. Thanks for your feedback, Honda-kun." Then, her dark blue eyes peered over timidly in the direction of Akana, who had been listening attentively to the others' advice on the matter. She seemed neither irritated nor pleased by what the rest of group had said, but in her eyes was a sudden impatience to offer her thoughts on the matter. "Shizukami-san?"

"After listening to everyone else provide earnest responses to your question 'Should I take the job offer?', some who have known Kaiba personally for a much longer period of time than others, I feel that it is only right that I should do the same." Combing a few golden locks through her fingers, she continued "I strongly advise you to look elsewhere for employment, but not for the aforementioned reasons, though I do agree with them." Acknowledging Haine, Jounouchi, and Honda with a brief nod, she added "First and foremost, Kaiba's personality is _completely_ incompatible with yours, so interactions with him should be far and few between." Closing the lid on her lunch box, she proceeded with "Secondly, he comes across as being a very . . . opportunistic individual, so it's safe to assume that he was thinking of what _he_ has to gain by offering you the job more than, if at all, what _you_ have to gain by taking him up on the offer."

Nataki bit her bottom lip as she considered the implications of Akana's words, which were in stark contrast to the 'mutually beneficial' status Kaiba had implied in his text.

"Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly," Akana began anew. "Kaiba is ultimately someone who will bring you nothing but despair and disappointment, I am certain of this."

An audible gasp could be heard from almost everyone in the group, including Nataki.

"How can you be certain of something like that?" She inquired almost immediately, her voice cracking on the last word, showing that she was clearly shaken up by Akana's assertion.

"Because based on past experience, I've learned that people seldom change. And if they're capable of any change at all, it's often for the worst rather than the better."

Nataki's eyes stared at Akana in challenge, but she said nothing.

"Do you disagree with me, Kuzana-san?"

Yugi could sense the tension between them, and for whatever the reason, he felt compelled to offer a response.

"Actually, I think people can change for the better."

Akana blinked. "Truly?" Then, standing up from her seat and turning away from the group, she added "Ah, naivete. I don't know whether to pity you and Kuzana-san, or envy your idealistic lens on life."

As she proceeded to leave, Akana quickly turned on her heel and cocked her head a bit. "Well, you've heard what I have to say about it, and I highly suggest you consider what I've told you, as well as what the others have said." And then she was gone, leaving Nataki and the others to finish lunch without her.

* * *

When the school day was over, Nataki found herself between a rock and a hard place. Even after hearing what her friends thought on the matter and categorizing them into a pros and cons list, she felt no closer to making her decision. _Ultimately, I have to be happy with whatever I choose, and I know that. But still . . . _Her friends' concerns over working for Kaiba became her concerns, and soon it became hard for her to distinguish her own individual feelings. If anything, she was more confused now than she had been before she talked about it with them. _I mean, Yugi-kun and Anzu-chan said to give it a try, but Jounouchi-kun, Honda-kun, Haine-chan, __**and**__ Shizukami-san seemed to think it would do more harm than good . . . _Sighing heavily while she walked toward Momo no Ki, Nataki couldn't help wondering why she felt so torn, but decided to wait until she got home later that evening before thinking about it any further.

* * *

Sipping at a fresh cup of green tea with honey, Nataki mulled over her decision while reading the notes over one last time:

Pros = higher salary, gain experience working in a very large, successful corporation (which looks great on a resume), continue getting to know him better, work regular hours each week, receive more/better benefits

Cons = might very well be a difficult boss to work for and/or communicate with, would have to turn down other potentially better job opportunities, consistent contact with him might make life horrible

Shaking her head, Nataki took another sip of her tea before setting it down on a coaster on her nightstand. Then, remembering the severity and certainty in Akana's tone when telling her that Kaiba would only bring her 'despair and disappointment' she suddenly felt very unsettled. _She said that like I had a death wish if I were to work for him . . ._

Leaning back against the pillows, Nataki closed her eyes and listened to the quietude around her in an effort to calm her mind. And then something clicked inside her. _My reaction . . ._Reaching for her cell phone, Nataki punched in Kaiba's number and began composing her message. _When Shizukami-san told me that Kaiba-san would only bring me unhappiness, my first reaction was to question her! _Reading the message to herself before hitting SEND, Nataki could feel the adrenaline rush through her anxiously. _Her assertion made __**me**__ defensive of __**him**__!_ Sitting in the quiet of her apartment, it had become clear to her – for whatever reason, from the very beginning, Nataki had wanted to believe in him. Even when others had cautioned her against it, or called her out for being too optimistic or foolish, it hadn't changed her course of action. _I want to believe in him._ Tutoring. Volunteer work. Talking during lunch at the bleachers. She needed no more input to realize what she wanted. _I want the job, and I'm willing to take the risk._

A minute later her phone buzzed, signaling his reply:

"Great. I'll draft a contract for your employment as well as other necessary paperwork outlining benefits and other information. You can expect to start working the week after finals."

Nataki smiled and sent a quick response:

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it!"

As she stared up at the ceiling, Nataki hoped that she had made the right decision. But as she crunched the pros and cons list into a ball and tossed it into the garbage, she was feeling pretty confident that she had, and just hoped that her friends would respect it.


	22. Reconciling Differences

After a grueling week of exams, Friday finally arrived, signaling the official end of the first term, and conversely, the beginning of the summer recess. For Nataki, however, it was the start of so much more.

Stretching as she stood up from her seat, Nataki let out a deep breath. She heard Haine, as well as some other students behind her chant 'FREEDOM!' and found herself laughing at their exclamation. Truth be told, school _did_ monopolize a lot of time, so it was exciting to think about all of the hours she would have to do other things . . . in addition to starting her new job at Kaiba Corporation, of course.

Much to her surprise, Jounouchi, Haine, and Honda had shown the same degree of understanding of her decision as Yugi and Anzu. Of course, they might also have insisted that she inform them of any crap from Kaiba, which they would address personally. Akana's reaction, however, hadn't been quite so mild. Aside from her blatant disapproval amongst the rest of the group when Nataki had announced her decision, Akana had pulled her aside after school as a final opportunity to change her mind.

"Kuzana-san, I must implore you to reconsider your decision." She breathed, a glimmer of panic gleaming through the cracks of her once composed demeanor.

"I'm sorry, Shizukami-san," Nataki tried. "But I'm not going to do that. I _really_ want the job."

"Well, I'm sure there are many opportunities for secretarial work elsewhere." She stated flatly. "You needn't settle for Kaiba Corporation."

Nataki blinked, a bit taken aback by how pushy she was being. "I . . . don't see working there as 'settling,' to be honest."

Akana's golden eyes narrowed, and her jaw became a tight line as she shot Nataki a serious look. "Did _nothing_ I told you resonate?" Then, placing her hands firmly onto Nataki's shoulders, she leaned forward and practically hissed "Let me be more blunt, then – Seto Kaiba is an aggressive, egocentric man whose motives are purely self-serving." Loosening her grip on Nataki's shoulders, Akana proceeded to move one hand up to brush a few loose raven strands away from her face. "You, on the other hand, are a very docile, altruistic young lady who is always looking to help others in any way you can." With eyes softening slightly as Akana took a step back from her, Nataki swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. "Do you understand? You two are _completely_ _incompatible_. Working for Kaiba will only cause you heartache."

Nataki had stared at her for a moment, letting the words soak in more deeply. While he _did_ come across as being rather selfish and abrasive at times, Kaiba was, she had learned from her interactions with him since she moved to Domino City, other things as well. He was incredibly smart, enjoyed all types of games, and had a great appreciation for classical music. And Nataki had a feeling there was a lot more to him than that. Surely working with the CEO on a regular basis would illuminate the still somewhat shadowy corners of her understanding of him? At least, that was what she hoped.

No longer able to keep the question bottled up inside her, Nataki asked "_Why_ do you dislike Kaiba-san so much, Shizukami-san?"

Akana said nothing at first, somewhat surprised – not so much by the question, but rather that Nataki had finally asked it. She sort of pursed her lips thoughtfully as she stared at Nataki. "Because . . ." Then, twirling a stray golden strand around her index finger, continued "Based on my . . . past experiences with him, there's very little to like about him."

"What 'past experiences' are you talking about?" Nataki promptly inquired. She wasn't trying to pry, but Akana's overt dislike of the CEO seemed so personal that she couldn't bear not knowing why anymore. Truthfully, Nataki wanted to be friends with _both_ of them, and knew that wouldn't be possible unless she could get to the root of the problem. _I know it's probably not my place, but it bothers me . . . _

"That is unimportant." She stated flatly, leaving no room for further explanation.

"Actually, it _is_ important." Nataki said insistently. "Kaiba-san said he's never met you before."

Akana raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued by her statement. "I see . . ."

Nataki blinked. "Is he wrong?" Taking a step toward Akana, she continued "About having met you, I mean?"

Staring into her dark blue eyes, Akana seemed to be thinking about what to say, which was weird to Nataki, because Akana always seemed to have an answer for everything. Instead of addressing her inquiry, however, Akana began anew. "In any case, I really am disappointed in your decision, but it _was_ yours to make." Turning on her heel, she added "I just would have thought that, upon hearing four of your six friends express their concerns over taking the job, you would have chosen a different path. But I imagine you likely had your mind made up before asking for input."

"That's not true!" Nataki exclaimed, suddenly feeling a bit hurt by Akana's accusation. "I really _did_ have mixed feelings about taking the job."

After her terse reply of "Well, good luck." Akana had disappeared around the corner and down the street, leaving Nataki alone to bear the weight of her obvious disappointment in her decision, and perhaps her as a person.

"Sooooo," Haine's singsong voice began, bringing her back to the present. "I'm thinking this calls for a celebratory outing. Wanna go grab some sushi?"

Nataki smiled. "That sounds great!" Then, upon noticing Akana stand up from her seat, felt her smile fade. _We can't __**not**__ ask Shizukami-san, and yet . . ._

"Should we see if Shizukami wants to come, too?" Haine asked.

"Ah, yes." She replied before proceeding over toward Akana rather awkwardly. Truth be told, after that brief follow-up discussion last week, Nataki hadn't really said much to her all week, and Akana had pretty much kept to herself, too. She had been her usual congenial self, nonetheless, but that didn't keep Nataki from feeling that, just beneath the surface, something had changed between them. And it made her feel crappy inside.

"Hi Shizukami-san."

Akana smiled faintly in acknowledgment. "Happy to be finished with finals?"

"Yes, definitely." Nataki replied while fidgeting a bit with her hands. "Haine-chan and I are going to grab some sushi. Would you like to join us?"

"That sounds nice." After collecting her things, she added "But unfortunately I have a prior commitment."

"Oh." Nataki looked down at her feet, wondering if Akana really _did_ have something else going on, or if she just didn't want to go with them. As much as she felt disappointed, however, she also felt a bit of relief, too. "Okay, no problem. Some other time then."

Akana nodded and then headed out of the room. As Nataki returned to Haine, who was stuffing her pens and scrap paper into her purse, she couldn't help wondering if things between her and Akana would ever return to the way they were before. Upon letting out a somewhat sad sigh, Nataki stated "Shizukami-san said she has a prior commitment, so I guess it'll just be the two of us."

Haine raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Then, seeing the somewhat despondent look in her eyes added, "Oh well. More sushi for us, right?"

Nataki laughed a bit. "Always finding the silver lining, huh?"

"You know it!" She stated flatly. "I'm way too pumped to let anything get me down! We're finally free, Nat!"

Nataki started giggling as Haine took both her hands into her own and began jumping up and down. She was giddier than Nataki had ever seen her, but Nataki didn't mind in the least. _You always know what I need, Haine-chan._

After settling down, Haine gestured for the two of them to head out. Nataki thought about asking Yugi and the others if they wanted to join her and Haine, but remembered that they had finished exams the day before. _And it'll be nice to have a girl's night out with Haine-chan. _Optingto keep things light and simple, Nataki walked with Haine down the streets of Domino – heart no longer quite so heavy, and stomach hungry for some sushi.

* * *

The weekend was Nataki's last chance for some rest and relaxation before starting her job at Kaiba Corporation, and she decided to make good use of that last chunk of 'completely free,' free time. She had already met with Kaiba to go over and sign all of the documents for her employment, so all that was left to do was make one more trip to the mall to buy one or two more outfits for her new job (thankfully, she already had some from her volunteer work). Nataki considered asking Haine if she wanted to join her, but before she could arrive at a decision, she noticed her phone buzzing. Upon glancing at the screen, she realized it was Akana. _Why would Shizukami-san be calling me? _She wondered briefly, contemplating whether or not to answer before finally flipping her phone open.

"Hi Shizukami-san." Nataki said mildly.

"Hello Kuzana-san." She replied. "I apologize for missing you and Suzude-san last night. I had a modeling shoot scheduled a couple weeks ago, and I simply couldn't reschedule it. One of the photographers I work for has to commute here, so it would have been very inconsiderate of me to cancel."

Nataki blinked, a bit taken aback by the lengthy, detailed explanation Akana had given for her inability to join them for dinner the previous evening.

"Oh, it was no problem, really." Nataki admitted. "I more than understand."

"I knew you would." Akana said coolly. "But I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I decided to ditch you and Suzude-san."

Nataki gasped faintly. _Does she have ESP or something?_ Then, after collecting herself momentarily, _No, there's no way she would have known I had thought that . . . _

"No, of course not." She replied finally.

"Good." There was a moment of silence on both ends of the line before she began anew. "And I'm sorry if my . . . distaste for your decision to work at Kaiba Corporation has made things a bit awkward lately."

If Nataki had been shocked before, she was in a state of complete bewilderment now. She almost didn't know what to say. _I mean, what __**can**__ I say to that without sounding . . . like a jerk?_

"Oh, well . . ."

"It doesn't change how I think of _you_, if that's what you were concerned about." Akana stated flatly. "I suppose I took your dismissal of my insight a bit too personally."

Nataki swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Shizukami-san." Fidgeting with a stuffed bear on her bed, she continued "I wasn't really thinking about how my decision would affect anyone other than myself. I suppose that was rather selfish of me . . ."

"Not at all." She retorted calmly. "You _should_ make decisions with _you _in mind because, ultimately, _you_ are the one who will be dealing with the repercussions – good, bad, or otherwise." Pausing a moment, she continued "You just need to have the courage to handle whatever may come, and that goes for all decisions you make in life, not just this one."

Nataki listened carefully to her words, which sounded like the advice of someone who had experienced so much more of life than she ever had. In fact, her voice sounded almost . . . motherly at the moment – easy to hear and understand despite the gravity of the words. "You're absolutely right, Shizukami-san." Then, stroking the plush fur of her stuffed bear added, "I will."

"Excellent." She could hear Akana take a sip of something on the other end before continuing. "So, is it safe for me to assume that things are now as they once were between us?"

Nataki smiled. "Yeah, of course."

"Well then, I have a proposal for you." She exclaimed, a bit of excitement in her voice.

"A . . . proposal?" Nataki queried.

"Yes. I have been wanting to buy a new dress for the summer, and was thinking that perhaps you would like to go to the mall with me?"

Nataki blinked. "Oh!" She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing – it sounded too good to be true. "Yes, I'd love to!"

"Great." Akana said eagerly. "Would you happen to be free this afternoon?"

_This afternoon?! _Nataki thought. _Oh God, this is either one heck of a coincidence, or she really __**does**__ have ESP! _Composing herself, she replied "Um, yeah! That works!"

"Wonderful. Shall we meet at the food court?" Akana suggested. "We could grab some lunch and then shop for a bit."

"Yeah, that would be fine." Nataki agreed. "Does 1:30 for you?"

"Sure. I'll see you then." And with a quick click Akana had hung up.

Nataki sunk back into her pillows while eyeing the alarm clock on her nightstand. It read 10:22AM. _Wow. _ She thought to herself in wonder at what had just transpired during a ten minute phone call. _Is this for real? _Checking her received calls log on her cell phone, Nataki found that it had been real. _Yup._ Sighing deeply she began to wonder if she was being too quick to jump back on the "Akana bandwagon," so to speak. But as her excitement to meet up with her took root, and she began rummaging through her closet to find a cute, but casual outfit to wear, those thoughts quickly disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: **The first term is FINALLY over! :D -squee- Now onto the more exciting things! Stay tuned folks and as always, I love hearing from you!


	23. An Unexpected Discovery

As Nataki stood in the food court of the Domino City Galleria, she could feel her excitement bubbling up from inside her. Looking down at her phone to check the time (which read 1:27 PM) she realized that, aside from that brief meeting before the trip to museum, Nataki hadn't spent time with just Akana. _It'll be fun to have a girl's day out with her. _Absentmindedly, she began skimming through the pictures she had taken on her phone – mostly of her and Haine, as well as pictures of her with Yugi and the gang – she began to wonder if maybe she hadn't been trying hard enough to include Akana in the things she did with them. Still, ever since she had moved to Domino, the girl had been a bit standoffish. While she had come around substantially, Akana still seemed like a private person who generally kept to herself and carried her own agenda around with her on a daily basis. Nataki never wanted to intrude on any of that, and had made attempts to reach out to Akana without pressuring her. Today, however, Akana had been the one to reach out to _her_, and Nataki was so excited she could hardly contain it.

The sound of heels clacking against the hard floor caused her to look up from her phone. Upon doing so, she saw Akana walking toward her and immediately thought to herself how naturally modeling must have come to her. She carried herself with such poise, and walked in those delicate high heel sandals with such grace and grandeur, her short, sheer halter neck dress emphasizing her long legs. It was rather modest in color – a delicate off-white that matched her sandals, and complemented her slightly tanned skin-tone. Nataki was pretty much speechless, taken aback at how looking beautiful came so naturally to her.

"Good afternoon, Kuzana-san." She greeted, her small purse swinging at her side as she came to a stop in front of her.

"H-Hi." Nataki somewhat stuttered. "You look really lovely, Shizukami-san." Then, she self-consciously crossed her arms in front of her chest. _I feel so under-dressed standing next to her it's embarrassing. _Truthfully, Nataki would have felt extremely awkward in something akin to what Akana was wearing, not because there was anything wrong with the dress – it covered Akana completely, and looked amazing. Nataki just couldn't imagine having the confidence _she_ would need to actually wear something so sheer, short, and form-fitting. As much as she didn't want to, Nataki felt stale and boring next to Akana, despite her best efforts to dress nicely – a light gray cardigan over a white cami tucked into an delicate pink and gray floral pattern skirt, black tights, and her dark gray flats.

"As do you." She replied, a small, but sincere smile adorning her face. "While your taste differs from mine, it suits you very well – it's modest, but very modern."

Nataki blushed slightly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." A pause. "Well, as I mentioned earlier I want to update my summer wardrobe. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

Nataki bit her bottom lip. _Should I be honest with her? I don't want her to get upset . . ._ "Well, I would like a few more . . . professional outfits, I suppose." Akana nodded knowingly, but said nothing. "As well as . . . maybe a few more 'fun' outfits. I'd really appreciate any advice or suggestions you have, Shizukami-san."

Akana seemed delighted by the mere thought of it. "Absolutely." Reaching for Nataki's hand and gently, but securely clutching it inside her own, she continued "Where should we start?"

Nataki felt warmth rush to her cheeks and she laughed nervously. "We could start at the bottom floor and work our way back up?" Then looking at her intently, her dark eyes beaming she added "Lead the way!"

Akana smirked and pulled Nataki along after her as they headed toward the escalator. "My pleasure." With a quick wink she continued, "Follow me."

* * *

About three hours later, the two had hit up all the clothing and shoe stores Akana had recommended and were ready to grab an early dinner. Once they had found a table in the food court, Nataki sighed happily, plopping the bags with her purchases beside her. "You've really got your shopping down to a science, Shizukami-san!"

Akana smiled coyly as she seated herself across from her at the table. "Years of practice." She half joked while setting down her bags beside her also. "And I always make sure I'm getting the best deal available for what I want, even though it does take some time to do the research."

"I can imagine." Nataki agreed. "I love everything you picked out, especially the white floral print dress with the navy blue flowers. It'll go nicely with those blue sandals you bought."

"Thank you." She said while gesturing to Nataki's bags. "I'm quite pleased with myself for finding you that light turquoise lace dress. You're such a bubbly person, Kuzana-san – your wardrobe should reflect that."

Nataki's face flushed slightly. "Aw, shucks!"

"So what are you thinking for dinner?" Akana inquired, her hands folded neatly together on the table.

"Ah, I'm not sure." Nataki admitted, a sheepish smile on her face. More than anything, she really wanted a cheeseburger, but she certainly wasn't going to tell Akana that. _She would probably be mortified. _Generally, Nataki was a health conscious person who much preferred to buy and prepare her own meals than to eat out, and when she did go out to eat, she usually ordered on the healthier side. But every once in a great while, Nataki liked to indulge, but she had a feeling that Akana wasn't the type of person to indulge, at least not in the same way she did. "What about you?"

Akana looked pensive for a moment. "Perhaps some sushi?"

Nataki nodded. "That sounds good to me!"

"Excellent. There's Domo Sushi here, or we can go elsewhere if you'd prefer." Then, Akana looked away for a moment before continuing, "How was the sushi at the place you went to with Suzude-san last night?

"Oh, we went to Niji Sushi – it was really good!" Nataki replied. "I loved their pepper tuna roll. The salmon mango roll is really good, too!"

"Then let's go there." Akana said with a small smile as she proceeded to grab her bags. Nataki followed suit, and then they headed out to the sushi restaurant.

* * *

Sitting back against the plush cushion of the booth, Nataki smiled. "That was delicious!" With a contented sigh she added, "Today was really fun!"

Akana finished chewing her spicy yellow tail roll and nodded in agreement. "Yes, quite." A pause. "I've really enjoyed your company, Kuzana-san."

"I really enjoyed spending time with you, too . . ." Then, hesitating a moment as if being cautious, added "Akana-san."

She looked at Nataki in earnest and her lips curved upward into a small, satisfied smile as if to say 'I'm happy to be addressed as such.' Then, she took a sip of her water. Nataki sighed briefly. _Baby steps. I don't want to be too pushy. _

After placing her water cup back down and pushing it away from her slightly, Akana started anew. "If it's not too late for you . . . Nataki-san, there is one more stop I would like to make."

Nataki blinked. "Okay, sure." She said while looking at Akana from across the table. "Where?"

"Just the museum." A pause. "I have been meaning to speak with the woman responsible for the 'Art of Egypt' exhibition for quite some time now."

"Oh." Nataki blinked, remembering how she and Haine had overheard Akana speaking with someone else on the other side of the door to the basement, but hadn't been exactly sure who. _Maybe she was talking with Ishtar-san? _"Is it still open?" Nataki retrieved her cell phone from her purse and checked the time. The numbers on the front read 6:48 PM.

"Yes, I believe so."

Nataki sat pensively for a moment. Truth be told, she had finally been rid of those nightmares involving duel monsters and magical sorcerers fighting each other, and worried that, if she went back to the museum and Akana started talking about that stuff again, her mind would again fixate on the very things that both fascinated and terrified her. "Okay, sure."

"Thank you, Nataki-san." She said with an appreciative look on her face before signaling the waitress over. "It shouldn't be a long visit."

* * *

The Domino City Museum was well illuminated at night, and called out from the darkness like a beacon. Nataki looked around curiously as her and Akana entered. It was relatively quiet, and from the look of things – there were maybe two, three people tops finishing up their exploration of the exhibits – the museum was likely closing soon. For whatever the reason, Nataki felt a bit uncomfortable. The museum didn't have the same exciting feel to it that it had when she had come last time. Then again, she didn't have Haine, Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, or Anzu with her.

"Follow me." Akana said, pursing her lips thoughtfully as she lead Nataki past the many exhibits.

After a moment, Nataki recognized Isis speaking with a tall man with a long, black ponytail and a shorter man with thicker, light blonde hair. Upon noticing the two of them approaching, they became silent and looked on at Nataki and Akana with interest.

"Good evening." Isis said with a congenial smile, her turquoise eyes gazing at them with familiarity and warmth. "What brings you two here so late?"

"Ishtar-san." Akana greeted while bowing ever so slightly, at which Nataki followed suit. Upon seeing the other two males, each one standing at either side of her she added. "I was unaware you had company." Turning a bit on her heel, she began anew. "If now is not a good time, I can come back . . ."

Isis tilted her head in wonder for a moment before letting out a brief "Oh." signaling what appeared to be her recollection of something. "Now is fine." Then, gesturing to each man individually continued, "This is my brother Rishid. And this is Marik." The taller bowed his head politely, while the other reached out his hand in welcome.

"A pleasure to meet you both." Akana said while accepting the handshake.

"Yes, a pleasure." Nataki said somewhat awkwardly while following suit.

After a brief moment of silence, Isis stated flatly. "I will see you two later, then." Which was clearly her subtle, indirect way of hinting for them to leave her alone to speak with Nataki and Akana.

"Sure." Marik replied, seeming somewhat hesitant to leave, but following Rishid past them toward the entrance of the museum. "Later then."

The sound of the heavy doors closing shut signaled Isis to return her gaze to Akana, who was standing rather quietly beside a somewhat uncertain Nataki. "Well, now you have my undivided attention."

Akana nodded while proceeding past her toward the door to the basement with the sign reading KEEP OUT still stuck to it. Pressing her palm against the cold steel door, she paused and turned to make sure that Isis was following her. And then . . .

"Come, Nataki-san . . ." She beckoned, her voice rich with anticipation of things to come.

What those things were, of course, Nataki hadn't a clue, as she hesitantly descended the staircase, a good three or four steps behind Isis. She could sense something . . . distinct on the other side of the door, something intense, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. As Isis unlocked the door there was a _click_ followed by a loud creak. The door was resistant to her efforts to push it open, which almost seemed like a sign to Nataki, who by now was looking about anxiously. _Why are going in here if it says not to? I feel like asking, but . . ._

With one final push, Isis had opened the door, and walked into the darkness, Akana following behind her. Nataki hesitated a moment in the doorway before finally traipsing after the two. Within a few seconds the lights shone brightly, illuminating the basement well. Nataki couldn't help squinting at first, her eyes taking a little time to adjust as she bumped into either Isis or Akana, both having come to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the staircase.

"Sorry." Nataki apologized before letting out an audible gasp at seeing the humongous stone slab behind a glass case in the wall. Before she could say anything, Akana proceeded toward the giant hunk of ancient history.

"It's simply marvelous, Ishtar-san." She breathed in awe while reaching out to place her hand against the glass without a second thought. "Breathtaking, even."

Isis nodded as she joined her in front of it. "I had a feeling you would." Then, turning to face Nataki – who had become immobilized by a mixture of amazement and cautiousness – added, "Come take a look, Kuzana-san."

Slowly, Nataki approached the giant slab of stone, which looked like it had been unearthed from its place of origin using considerable force. Upon closer inspection she noticed that, engraved into the stone, were hieroglyphics and images of people and strange looking creatures. Almost instantaneously, the conversation she had with Akana at the pizza parlor weeks ago came front and center, and with it, the connection to the stone mural. _How . . .?_

Turning to look at Akana, who seemed entranced by the chunk of Egyptian history, she started to feel unsettled. _How can this be? _Gripping her bags full of purchases from the mall, she felt a lump in her throat. _What she described to me . . . matches what is on here, even though it seems like she hasn't seen this until now._

"It truly is a meaningful relic from the past." Isis spoke suddenly, interrupting Nataki's train of thought and regaining Akana's attention. "This is one of two murals we have successfully transported here from Egypt. They were discovered in the tomb of the eighteen pharaohs . . ." Raising her hand in the air as if to gesture to it, she continued "If you look carefully, you will see the depiction of monsters carved into this stone. These monsters were believed to be responsible for ill-will, misfortune, and chaos that occurred in the world. So Egyptian sorcerers, in an effort to stop their evil, painted them onto stone tablets to seal the monsters inside."

"Monsters?" Nataki asked, dark blue eyes fixated on the stone. Sensing Akana's gaze, she turned to face her.

"Yes, just as I told you." She stated flatly. "Incredible, isn't it?"

"Yeah . . ." Nataki managed to say back, mouth still practically agape at what she was looking at. _So she was telling the truth . . . _

She returned her attention to the two women and noticed Isis look over at Akana with a wariness that she didn't understand. Then, Isis cleared her throat and continued. "I thought you might find this interesting, just as Pegasus-san did when he discovered it and was inspired to create the Duel Monsters card game." Taking a few steps toward what appeared to be another giant slab of rock secured behind a glass case she added, "However, I believe you will both find this next mural even more . . . surprising."

Without a second thought, Akana walked over to join Isis, leaving Nataki to come to terms with what she had been told and what stood right before her. In all honesty, it was a bit much to take in. _How can something this . . . big of a deal be __**down **__**here**__ instead of __**up **__**there**__? Surely other people would love to see this, so why? _Then, looking over at Isis, she couldn't help wondering why they, of all people, were allowed to look at these ancient murals. _I'll bet Akana-san was talking to Ishtar-san about wanting to see these murals! That must have been what Haine-chan and I heard . . ._ Carefully, she set down her bags so that she could fumble through her purse to retrieve her Duel Monster cards. Once she had them, she started skimming through them, comparing the illustrations on the cards to the monsters engraved into the stone mural. _I guess they sort of look alike . . ._

Upon hearing Akana's bags hit the floor, Nataki looked over in her direction and saw something she didn't expect in the girl's golden eyes – apprehension. Somehow, Akana always seemed poised with her feelings in check. What could she have possibly seen that would unnerve her? Immediately curious, Nataki shoved her cards back into her purse, picked up her bags, and half walked half jogged over to where she and Isis were standing. As soon as Nataki had come within viewing range of the ancient rock she froze. _No way . . . _Her hands went limp, causing her bags to flop onto the ground at her feet. Her eyes stared in disbelief, and her knees suddenly felt inadequate in their ability to support her. _There's absolutely no way . . . _Without even asking Akana she had a feeling she knew what had caused her to look on with uncertainty. On the mural was a carving of two men – hands outstretched before a flame, one bearing an unmistakable likeness to . . .

"Yugi-kun?"

* * *

**A/N:** Well, it's finally happening! Nataki and Akana are finally seeing the murals that have to do with Yugi and Kaiba's destinies! :D This chapter required research on my end, and I hope the details from the murals are correct! Oh, and a small appearance by other canon characters (Rishid and Marik!) Let me know what you think of this equally relationship building/plot-centric chapter! ;)


	24. From Past to Present

Isis peered over at Nataki and Akana with a hint of concern before returning her attention to the relic. "This mural is called the Tablet of Lost Memories." Placing her hand above her heart momentarily, as if trying to brace herself, Isis continued "As you can see, there are two men engaging in a duel – a nameless pharaoh, and what appears to be one of his high priests." Pointing her fingers up at the carvings above the two duelists, she proceeded to add "The monsters above them are-"

Before she could offer the information, Akana interjected. "The Black Magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon." Then, clenching her fists slightly, she continued "Those are the signature cards of Mutou, Yugi and Kaiba, Seto, are they not?"

Isis nodded her head knowingly.

"I thought so." Akana muttered under her breath with a hint of frustration, causing Nataki to literally jump in place a bit.

"W-Wait a minute." She interrupted, causing Isis and Akana to look at her briefly. "Even if that _is_ true, what does _that_ have to do with anything?"

Isis placed a gentle hand on Nataki's shoulder in an effort to diminish the impact of what she was about to say. "Kuzana-san, this mural depicts the rivalry of two powerful duelists which began three millennia ago . . ." Looking down at her with a serious gaze she added, "The very two duelists who remain rivals to this day."

Nataki felt panic spread through her at the mere thought of her words being true. Yet somehow, as she looked at the giant relic, she found herself unable to deny them. Shaking off the hand that meant to comfort but only further concerned her, Nataki took a few steps back. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that the pharaoh carved onto that stone is Yugi-kun?"

Isis bit her bottom lip, sensing that Nataki was having a difficult time grappling with the idea. As if on cue, Akana proceeded over toward her and gestured at Isis to leave them alone to talk. Without a word, Isis nodded and proceeded up the staircase, closing the door behind her.

Once she heard it shut completely, Akana looked down at Nataki with a somewhat nervous expression.

"This seems quite . . . outlandish, doesn't it?" She asked Nataki, whose eyes seemed permanently panic-stricken.

"I just . . . can't believe it." She replied while pressing her hands against the glass protecting the mural. "And yet, here it is . . ." Turning on her heel, she proceeded to ask, "I mean, why should we believe that the person carved there is Yugi-kun? Just because the Black Magician is his signature card, it's not like that _has_ to be him, right? Other duelists today also have that card."

Akana nodded thoughtfully. "True. There is more than one Black Magician Duel Monster Card." Then, gesturing to the monster engraved above the other person, the one Isis had referred to as one of the high priests, she continued "But, there were only ever four copies of the Blue Eyes White Dragon Duel Monster Card released, and it's unquestionable that Kaiba owns three of them."

Nataki swallowed hard. "What are you saying, Akana-san?" Stepping forward so that she could look her dead in the eyes, searching for any trace of dishonesty added, "That the man across from the pharaoh is Kaiba-san?"

Akana shrugged, trying to calm her. "I mean, I find all of this hard to believe myself, Nataki-san. But Ishtar-san seems to be suggesting that the rivalry between Mutou-san and Kaiba – two of the most skilled duelists, are they not? – is somehow represented on this mural dating back three thousand years to the ancient Egyptian times." Running her fingers through a few golden locks, she continued "As an esteemed researcher and archaeologist on Egyptian culture, I highly doubt she would have reason to lie about any of this – regardless of how unbelievable it may seem."

"But-" Nataki tried, shifting her gaze from Akana to the mural, and then back to Akana, she was practically at a loss for words. _But this can't be true . . . it just __**can't**__ be._

Akana smiled gently at Nataki before patting her on the back reassuringly. "Let's just listen to what else Ishtar-san has to say, and then we can leave." Twirling one of Nataki's loose raven strands Akana added, "It would be quite rude to leave before she can finish explaining the murals to us."

Nataki nodded somewhat reluctantly. She knew Akana was right – it would be rude to leave now, especially since they came by unannounced to begin with. She watched as Akana walked toward the staircase to retrieve Isis and swore she could feel her heartbeat through her chest. _Maybe we really shouldn't have seen these murals . . ._

When Isis had returned with Akana beside her, Nataki forced out a small smile.

"I understand that this is surely difficult to accept at face value. I don't expect you to walk away believing everything, but I would ask you to keep an open mind." She said, her voice soft and full of understanding. Nataki couldn't help feeling bad about her exclamation of outright disbelief, even though the thought of Yugi and Kaiba being reincarnations of a pharaoh and priest from three millennia ago did seem sort of ridiculous.

"I will try." She finally managed to say in response. "I'm sorry, Ishtar-san."

Isis shook her head calmly. "You needn't apologize, Kuzana-san." Then, gesturing to the mural once again, she asked, "Now, would it be alright if I finish explaining what is depicted on the mural?"

"Yes." Nataki replied softly. Akana smiled at her briefly before turning her attention to the giant engraved stone.

"Very well." Isis began anew. "In addition to the two . . . duelists, you can see a large, pyramid-shaped object carved into the stone above them, with three monsters floating near it . . ."

Nataki blinked. _That object looks really familiar . . . I know I've seen it before._

"Ishtar-san, what is that object?"

Isis raised an eyebrow and shot Akana a curious glance. "It is one of the seven mystical items believed to have been created to seal away the evil – the Millennium Puzzle."

Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I ask only because the upside down pyramid shaped relic Mutou, Yugi wears around his neck bears a striking resemblance to that object, which also appears to be around the pharaoh's neck in the mural."

Nataki leaned in a bit closer to the mural and let an audible gasp escape her at realizing it. _Oh my god that's where I've seen it before! It __**does**__ look like the necklace __Yugi-kun wears . . . but there's no way that could be the actual puzzle, right? It's probably just a replica of it. He did mention that his grandfather brought it back home after an archaeological dig in Egypt. _

"That it does." Much to both of their surprise, Isis offered nothing more, almost as if it wasn't her place to neither confirm nor deny what Akana had asked. However, she must have sensed that both girls were starting to feel a bit restless, Nataki more so than Akana. Isis resumed her explanation of the mural once more. "Before you leave, there is one more thing I wanted to draw your attention to." Gesturing to the top of the mural she continued, "Above the Millennium Puzzle are three monsters carved into the stone – the Egyptian Gods."

Almost instantaneously, Nataki felt a small tremor inside her that caused her to lose her balance and fall to her knees, palms pressed flat against the cold floor. Akana seemed visibly afflicted by the creatures as well, but only winced slightly and crossed her arms in front of her chest as if concealing any discomfort she felt. Isis watched them both carefully as if she had anticipated some sort of reaction to be elicited from them in some way. She then proceeded with her description of them. "The one on the left that looks like a griffin is the Winged God-Dragon of Ra. In the middle is the Sky Dragon of Osiris. Lastly, to the right is the Giant God-Soldier of Obelisk."

Nataki slowly stood up and was surprised when Akana came to stand beside her in an almost protective manner.

"Pegasus-san was inspired to recreate these three mighty beasts as Duel Monsters, but only the most powerful of body and mind can ever hope to control them." Isis added hesitantly.

"If I recall correctly, didn't Mutou-san become the sole owner of all three cards as per the ante rule of Kaiba's Battle City Tournament a couple months ago?" Akana inquired suddenly.

Isis nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

Akana became somewhat grim momentarily before returning to her usual calm composure.

"Do you have any more questions for me?" Isis inquired.

Nataki's head was spinning from everything, and she felt quite shaken up at the mere thought of Kaiba and Yugi being anything more than, well, Kaiba and Yugi. If there was even _some_ truth to what Isis had explained to them, Nataki didn't know how to react. How could she face either of them ever again if they were connected to what the mural depicted? Would that mean that Yugi had the Millennium Puzzle? Was Yugi a reincarnation of that nameless pharaoh? And what about Kaiba? The rivalry between the two was so apparent – could it really be traced back three millennia? Most importantly though, why were she and Akana being told all of this? How, exactly, were they any part of this whole ancient Egyptian past?

As if painfully aware of Nataki's confusion and anxiety, Akana answered "No, not at the moment."

"Alright." She said softly, clearly sensing how the atmosphere had changed between them. "If you do have any questions in the future, however, please feel free to come visit me whenever you wish." Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she added "I will be here."

"Thank you." Nataki muttered in a barely audible voice as she bowed and proceeded to grab her bags and ascend the staircase, Akana following suit. She could feel Isis's eyes on her the entire time, even after she had closed the basement door behind her and Akana.

Once they were outside, Nataki inhaled the cool night air graciously. She didn't know what to think about anything anymore. At this point, she wanted to go home and forget everything Isis had just told her, but she had a feeling it would be a hopeless endeavor.

"Are you alright, Nataki-san?" Akana inquired, her voice filled with concern as she looked over at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied, leaning over the railing near the entrance of the museum. "Just . . . tired."

Akana nodded. "That's understandable. It's been an exhausting evening." Looking up at the night sky, which seemed darker than usual she continued, "I suppose that's my fault. I wanted to come here tonight and see those murals."

"How did you know about them in the first place?" Nataki inquired.

Akana shot her a pensive look. "Well, I didn't know what was down there, but I had a feeling that there was something more to the exhibit that Ishtar-san wasn't showing us." Staring down at her well-manicured nails she added "I suppose I shouldn't have pried."

Nataki sighed heavily. "Well, at least you got to see them." Turning to face her, she noticed that Akana's golden eyes seemed sympathetic. "Anyway, it's late. We should head home."

"I agree." A pause. "Don't worry too much about what she said."

Clutching her bags more tightly, Nataki averted her gaze and directed her attention to the water fountain off in the distance. "I won't." Then, closing her eyes in thought continued, "Should we ask Yugi-kun or Kaiba-san about any of it?"

Akana shot her a serious look and stated "Absolutely not." in a crisp tone, allowing no room for "But!" or "Why?" in response.

"Okay."

Brushing her golden strands back from her face, she began anew in a softer voice. "Well then, shall we?"

Nataki nodded. Their apartments were in the same direction for most of the journey, so it made sense to walk together. Much to her surprise and relief, Akana was quiet most of the way. _Good, because I honestly don't feel like talking all that much . . ._

When they arrived at the metaphorical 'split in their journey,' Akana smiled, thanked her for an enjoyable day out, and wished her goodnight. Nataki did the same, and made her way back to her apartment, where she wished for sleep, and prayed for dreams about anything other than pharaohs, sorcerers, and monsters. She had gotten her fill of that for quite a while.

* * *

**A/N**: Well, now Nataki and Akana have an inkling that there's much more to Yugi and Kaiba than meets the eye! How will this affect them? How will the story progress from here? Stay tuned, and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)


	25. The Omen

Nataki quickly learned that working at Kaiba Corp meant she had to work at a brisk pace and multi-task readily. Fortunately for her, waitressing at Momo no Ki had helped her develop skills in both of these areas. While Kaiba Corporation was surely a vigorous and busy workplace, it was by no means beyond what she was capable of . . . which Kaiba quickly picked up on. As she progressed through her first week as an employee there, Nataki could sense that he was genuinely pleased by her work. When she arrived Friday morning, he asked if she would mind sitting in on a business meeting of his to take notes and keep a log about what was discussed. Nataki had tried to conceal her excitement at being included in on his professional meeting, but realized she hadn't been very successful as she stood up to leave and saw Kaiba shake his head mockingly.

"Honestly." Kaiba scoffed while stepping out of the meeting room with Nataki trailing behind him. "Your eagerness to attend my board meeting perplexes me."

Nataki's face flushed slightly as she held the small, spiral-bound notepad to her chest. "Why?"

"Why?" Kaiba repeated her question as if making sure he heard her right. "Because I can't see anything I discussed with my Board of Directors being of interest to you." Walking down the hallway and unlocking the door to his office, he continued "Unless you genuinely find it worthwhile to listen to me analyze my company's performance over the past month."

Nataki laughed faintly. "It may surprise you to know that I _do_ actually find some it interesting." Smiling briefly while entering the office behind him she added, "I think I have a renewed appreciation of just how well you handle the stress that comes with being in charge of such a large, successful company."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow and shot her a curious glance before proceeding to his desk. "Is that so?"

Nataki nodded and walked over to her desk only to find that she had three missed messages left on the answering machine. Sitting down and retrieving a sticky note, she proceeded to listen to them one by one, writing down the names and phone numbers of each person. After she had jotted that information down she felt, as well as heard her stomach growl in hunger. Looking up at the clock she gasped – it was well into her lunch break. _But_ _I should call these people back first . . ._

As she set to work contacting the business associates and shareholders who had called, Nataki noticed Kaiba's cobalt eyes glancing up from the computer at her momentarily. She returned the gaze briefly before she heard a voice on the other end of the phone call.

"Hi Nakamura-san, it's Kuzana, Nataki from Kaiba Corporation." She said, her voice calm and congenial. "I'm so sorry to have missed your call. What can I do for you today?"

She wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw Kaiba smirk a bit before returning his attention to whatever he was working on.

"Yes, you have an appointment scheduled for Friday, August 5th at 2:30PM. Would you like to reschedule?" She asked while tracing her finger along the desk calendar, looking for a day with available time slots. "Unfortunately Kaiba-san is booked solid for the next two weeks. The next available half hour slots he has available are a 12:30PM or 4:30PM for Monday the 23rd. Would either of those work for you?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, she heard the man respond with a bit irritated and penciled his name onto the calendar. Looking up briefly, she saw that Kaiba's eyes were no longer casting a glance in her direction, but he was smirking a bit. "Alright Nakamura-san, you are now scheduled to meet with Kaiba-san at 12:30PM on Monday, August 23rd. Have a good day." With a sigh she sat back in her seat. _One down and two more to go._

* * *

A little over half an hour later, Nataki was finally able to take her lunch break. Standing up and retrieving her bento from the fridge she smiled.

"I'm taking lunch now, Kaiba-san." She stated casually.

"Okay." He replied, not looking up from his work.

_He's always doing that. _She thought to herself in slight irritation. In the past week, she hadn't seen him stop to eat something, anything, even once. He would drink a glass of ice water during the afternoon, and a couple cups of black coffee in the morning and late afternoon, but she couldn't remember seeing him eat. Looking over at the man, she found herself in a pickle. _It know it's not my place, but he has to eat **something** . . ._

"Would you like to join me?" She asked suddenly, hoping it sounded nonchalant rather than awkward.

Kaiba said nothing for a moment, which created a feeling of unease in Nataki, who was looking over at him somewhat expectantly. "No thanks." He finally said in response.

"Okay." She breathed before spinning her chair slightly away from him in an attempt to hide the embarrassment on her face. As she removed the lid from her bento and grasped her chopsticks in her hand, she felt the need to add, "But please take some time to eat _something_. I haven't seen you eat a single thing all week during my time here."

Kaiba shook his head before replying, "Not hungry."

"Really?" She inquired, her voice doing little to conceal her disbelief.

With a slightly agitated sigh, the CEO nodded. "Really. Now if you don't mind, I'm in the middle of analyzing a report."

"Oh!" Nataki exclaimed before an apologetic look claimed her face. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He muttered while resuming his work, leaving Nataki to eat her lunch in a somewhat awkward silence.

* * *

When her lunch break was over, Nataki started typing up the notes she had taken during the meeting earlier. About halfway through her work, the phone rang and she quickly picked it up from the receiver. "Good afternoon. Kaiba-san's office. Kuzana, Nataki speaking." She began.

"Why, hello Kuzana-san." A soft, somewhat familiar female voice replied over the phone. "What a pleasant surprise."

Nataki blinked but hesitated a moment before responding. "May I ask who's calling?"

A brief silence was quickly followed by "It's Ishtar, Isis from the Domino City Museum. How are you, Kuzana-san?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." A pause. "How are you, Ishtar-san?"

"I'm doing well, thanks." After a brief moment of silence she added, "I didn't know you were working for Seto."

"I just started this Monday, actually." She replied somewhat hesitantly.

"Is that so?" As if sensing Nataki's reluctance, she added, "Well, I wish you luck."

"Thank you." Nataki said softer than she had meant to.

"You're welcome." A pause. "Well, I suppose I should ask if Seto is available to speak with me? It is of great importance."

Nataki looked over in the direction of Kaiba's desk and saw that he was still concentrating on reading something over. "Let me check." She said finally to Isis before covering the bottom of the phone with her hand. "Kaiba-san, are you available?"

"Who is it?" He asked without looking over at her.

"It's Ishtar, Isis from the Domino City Museum." She began, curling the cord around her index finger. "She says it's important that she speak with you."

Kaiba's cobalt eyes narrowed upon hearing who it was and he sighed deeply. His face seemed to show that he was mulling over whether or not to accept the call, which seemed strange to Nataki. And yet, as her memory of the most recent trip to museum came to mind, she remembered what Isis had said about Kaiba being a reincarnation of some ancient Egyptian priest – still a seemingly absurd idea, but pervasive nonetheless. _He must know about it, and he's probably spoken with Ishtar-san before. Maybe that's why . . . ?_ His response came reluctantly. "Transfer her to me."

Nataki merely nodded. "I'm transferring you to him right now, Ishtar-san." She said into the phone.

"Thank you so much." She replied. "Take care."

The CEO picked up his phone and addressed her with what sounded like irritation. "What is it _now_, Isis?"

While resuming her typing, Nataki couldn't help wondering what Isis could possibly be calling about. _And the way he emphasized "now," like there was something he was referring back to before that he had to talk to her about._ She didn't want to be nosy, so she tried her best to focus on typing up the rest of the notes from the meeting, but . . .

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." She heard Kaiba practically hiss into the phone, his words dripping with venom. And then he looked over at Nataki with an intense scrutiny she had never seen in his eyes before, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat and stare fixated at the screen until the words in front of her started to blur. Somehow, Isis's phone call had drastically transformed the atmosphere in the office, like an omen of something bad to come, and Nataki swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. _He sounds upset . . . and why is he looking at me like that?_

"Kuzana." He said, voice sharp and crisp. "Go see if Mokuba needs assistance. He's working on his Capsule Monsters project downstairs – tenth floor."

Nataki blinked, somewhat taken aback by the sudden shift in his demeanor and new assignment. Perplexed, but not about to protest, she saved her work on the computer, stood up from her seat, and proceeded toward the door. "Okay. I'll be back later."

Kaiba merely nodded, gesturing for her to hurry along so he could resume his phone conversation with Isis.

* * *

As Nataki walked to the elevator and pressed the button to send the elevator to her floor she felt her heart beating more intensely. _What was __**that**__ about? And what could she possibly be telling him that's so private? He's never asked me to leave before, so why . . . ? _Within a minute the elevator doors opened and Nataki stepped inside, her mind racing with questions and then one that sent a shudder through her. _Oh god, _w_hat if she's talking to him about what we saw at the museum? _Nataki had smothered the urge to ask him and Yugi about what Isis had shown her and Akana at the museum, but if Isis mentioned that she and Akana knew about them . . .

The doors opened, and Nataki absentmindedly stepped out – not remembering whether or not she had actually pressed the button for the tenth floor, too caught up in her own thoughts. Luckily enough she had, and as she walked down the hall she started to look for Mokuba only to find him tinkering away in a technical supply room – plastic Capsule Monster pieces on the table in front of him, blueprint off to the side. Upon hearing her knock on the door, he looked up. Surprise flooded his dark violet eyes and then he smiled.

"Hi Kuzana-san." He greeted. "What are you doing down here?"

"Hi Mokuba-san." She replied, closing the door gently behind her. "Your brother asked me to check in with you regarding your Capsule Monsters project and see if you needed any help?"

Mokuba raised an eyebrow curiously, not quite convinced by her explanation. But his skepticism was quickly replaced by an eagerness to show her his progress with the game, however, and he gestured for her to take a seat next to him. "First of all, do you even know what Capsule Monsters is?"

Nataki shook her head. "No, I've never heard of it."

"I figured as much." He said with a sigh. "It's outdated, I suppose, but I'm going to fix that." Pointing to the blue print on the table he continued, "It's basically a combination of Duel Monsters and chess. It requires a lot of strategy, too."

Nataki smiled. "It sounds interesting."

"Yeah, and instead of using these plastic capsule pieces and the chess-like board, I'm trying to make it compatible with the virtual systems that my brother has created to make Duel Monsters more engaging and interactive." Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he smirked. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very cool, indeed." She said while grabbing one of the plastic capsules and rolling it between her fingers. "I'd love to play it sometime."

"How about now?" He suggested suddenly. "I mean, technically, you _would_ be helping me."

"Oh, I don't know . . ." Nataki tried. She already felt like she was treading on somewhat thin ice with Kaiba (for reasons unbeknownst to her). Based on how his temperament had changed somewhat abruptly, she assumed it was getting thinner and didn't want to fall through. "Maybe some other time."

"Aw, come on!" He pleaded. "It'll be fun! I can never get Seto to play it with me, and it'll help me perfect my plans for improving upon the original game."

Before she could answer, Nataki felt her cell phone vibrate from inside the pocket of her blazer. "Hold that thought." She said softly while retrieving her phone, only to see that she had received a text from Kaiba informing her to return to his office. Nataki felt the blood leave her face, and Mokuba seemed to notice.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Ah, yes." She replied somewhat disjointedly, trying to regain her composure. "I need to return to the office. I'll check in with you some other time, okay?"

Mokuba nodded. "Okay. See you later." He said with a wave before returning his attention to the project before him.

* * *

Closing the door behind her, Nataki wished she could just be done for the day. She didn't know what to expect when she returned to his office, and she was actually starting to dread her return, but her feet trudged onward anyway. The elevator ride up to the twelfth floor was much too quick, and she took a deep breath as she stepped off and proceeded into his office. Her dark blue eyes scanned the room only to see him standing near her desk, arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes followed her, like a predator watched its prey before going in for the kill, and Nataki felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. She came to a stop in front of him and tried to smile. She wasn't able to think of anything to say, but felt the desperate need to break the ice.

"Hi." She tried cautiously.

Kaiba gave no reply. He simply stood there a moment longer, taking in as much of her as possible and then shaking his head almost as if in disbelief. "Fantastic." She heard him mumble in frustration under his breath as he returned to his desk. Once he was seated he resumed typing and Nataki didn't know what to do or say to try to dissipate the awkwardness between them.

"Your brother showed me his blue print." She started. "It looks really interesting."

Kaiba said nothing as he resumed his work, and Nataki realized that, at this rate, her remaining three hours would probably feel much longer. _Well, I guess that's that. _She thought to herself sadly while sitting down at her desk and trying to get back into the groove with her work.

* * *

When her shift finally ended, Nataki exhaled deeply and organized her desk area for Monday morning. Shutting her computer down, she slowly stood up and stretched. As much as she dreaded the inevitable "bring the typed notes and other work over to him" routine, she wanted nothing more than to be done for the week and leave the office. Gently, she set down the pile of work she completed on the corner of his desk and turned away, not wanting to see that sharp look in his eyes again.

"Here is everything from today." Turning on her heel to leave she added, "Have a good weekend, Kaiba-san."

Before she could turn the door handle to leave, Kaiba's voice stopped her.

"Hold on, Kuzana."

Freezing in place, Nataki kept her eyes straight ahead. "Yes?"

"I apologize for my . . . change in demeanor earlier." Massaging his temples he added, "I had a somewhat frustrating phone call earlier, and I suppose haven't been able to get over it." He stated flatly. _So she __**did**__ day something that upset him. I wonder if it was about me or Akana-san at all? _

Nataki slowly turned to face him and saw that his cobalt eyes seemed a bit less severe. "So you weren't upset with me?" She asked.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "No." A pause. "Should I be?"

Nataki's eyes widened slightly. "No, I don't . . . think so? I mean, I don't remember doing anything wrong or anything, but . . ." Then, she added "I mean, I guess I bothered you when I suggested that you eat something."

Kaiba sighed tiredly. "I wasn't upset. I don't like people telling me what to do."

Nataki bowed. "I didn't it mean to come across that way. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He retorted flatly. "Thanks for your hard work this week. Enjoy the weekend."

Nataki nodded slowly and started to turn back toward the door. "Thank you, Kaiba-san." She smiled politely, although she felt a bit unsteady inside. "You too."

As she closed the door behind her, Kaiba sighed deeply while brushing his bangs back from his face. "I'm so fuckin' done with this supernatural bullshit" he muttered under his breath before retrieving his cell phone and dialing Yugi's number. After the second ring he received an answer.

"Kaiba-kun?" His voice was soft and somewhat concerned. "What is it?"

"I have a feeling you already know." Kaiba stated flatly into the phone. "We need to talk. I'll send Isono to come pick you up. And don't bring any of your nerd herd with you." Almost as abruptly as he had called the CEO hung up, leaving Yugi in a state of bewilderment, and the phone line empty.

* * *

**A/N: **For the first time in forever . . . the story extends beyond Nataki's immediate experiences, and we get to see Kaiba calling Yugi about a certain something~ I hope you start to feel the anticipation building progressively throughout each chapter, so stay tuned for some exciting, and hopefully jaw-dropping moments! :)

As always, I look forward to hearing from you!


	26. An Imminent Intersection

"Well, that's just weird." Haine spat before taking another sip of her soda. Sitting at the pizza parlor, Nataki wondered if it had been a lapse in her judgment to tell Haine about what had happened the day before. Honestly though, she always felt better after talking to Haine, and she hoped now would be no exception.

Setting her soda back down onto the table Haine continued, "But I wouldn't read too much into it. Kaiba's always been a moody bastard, you know."

Nataki continued to stare down at the untouched slice of pizza she had ordered. "It just seemed so . . . sudden. Almost as if someone had literally flipped a switch on him."

Haine shrugged. "Like I said, he's always been volatile. But it's nothing you did – he said that himself."

Nodding slowly while looking up into Haine's hazel eyes, which seemed to be staring at her expectantly – waiting for her to eat – Nataki acquiesced, reaching for the pizza and biting off the tip. She was rewarded with a slight smile from Haine, who then took a generous bite of her own slice. "You're right, Haine-chan. I guess I'm just overthinking it."

"You're _always_ overthinking things." She chastised. "You gotta learn to let things go and not read into everything so much. You'll wear yourself out, kid."

Nataki chuckled lightly. "Well, I certainly don't want _that_."

Shaking her head, Haine started once more. "So besides the fact that he's a grump, which you already knew, how are you liking your new job?" Raising her eyebrows playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood she added, "As Kaiba's _personal_ secretary?"

Nataki's face flushed and she smacked Haine on the arm. "Why do you have to say it like that? You make it sound . . . _dirty_."

Haine chuckled. "Well, he's never had a personal secretary before you, right? That's the first thing that crossed my mind when he offered you the job. Honestly, I couldn't understand why he would suddenly have the need for one."

Nataki bit her bottom lip and said nothing. Thinking back, she remembered that Mokuba had shared the same unconvinced attitude that Haine had demonstrated.

"Since when have you ever needed a personal secretary?" Mokuba had asked his brother rather suspiciously while scrutinizing Nataki with his violet eyes.

Kaiba had sighed at his protest, a clear message that he had made up his mind and there was no point in trying to change it. "Mokuba, I don't need to run my decisions by you." Then, briefly glancing his cobalt eyes over at Nataki, who had been looking down at her feet a bit awkwardly due to Mokuba's surprise, before continuing, "But anyone with eyes can see that things have been hectic as hell around here lately. My decision to hire Kuzana is based on the presumption that she will be helping to make things more efficient for both of us." Narrowing his eyes as if shutting down the discussion he added, "Do you understand?"

Mokuba nodded and had agreed (reluctantly) to his brother's proposal. As he proceeded to leave, Nataki felt the urge to follow him – she would never forgive herself if she created a rift between them. In the short time she had known Mokuba, she could tell how much he loved and respected his brother, and Kaiba surely felt the same about him. Furthermore, Mokuba had seemed okay with her volunteering part time to help out in the office, so why not now when she would be doing it full time?

When she questioned what was troubling him Mokuba had answered, "It's just . . . I don't know. I guess I'm just a bit skeptical of anyone who would want to be around Seto that much." Shifting his weight from one foot to the next he added, "I mean, you seem like nice person, Nataki, but . . . I don't know." A pause. "Why work _here_?" Eyes gazing up at her with genuine curiosity, he added "Why work for my brother?"

Understanding fully what Mokuba's concerns were – she wasn't ignorant of how much an opportunistic person had to gain, or would strive to acquire, as a Kaiba Corp. employee, especially when working directly with the CEO himself. _But I'm not like that, Mokuba-san. _

Nataki knelt down and placed her hands on his shoulders. Looking him straight in the eyes she said "I understand why you would be . . . wary of someone in my position." Smiling she added, "Your brother is a very successful and powerful businessman, and I'm sure many people crave what he has . . . but that's not what I want." Hoping her sincerity was seeping into him she continued, "I really enjoyed helping you and your brother by volunteering, and I'm looking forward to working with you both full time so that I can help even more. I can tell that this company is incredibly important to both of you, and I want to do my part to help you and your brother in anyway I can." _And in the process, get to know you and him better and hopefully become friends . . . _

Mokuba said nothing for a moment before smiling faintly. "Well, you _are_ friends with Yugi and the rest of them, and they've always been really kind to us . . ." Smirking while rubbing the tip of his nose slightly he added, "Oh alright. You're probably fine."

Nataki smiled. "Thanks so much, Mokuba-san." Then, standing up she exclaimed "I promise I won't let you or your brother down."

"You'd better not." Mokuba teased while giving her the 'I'm watching you' gesture with his fingers.

* * *

"Yo, you in there still?" Haine's voice snapped her back into the present. "Don't go all spacey on me."

"Ah, sorry about that." Nataki smiled sheepishly. "So what were we talking about?"

"About you being his personal secretary." A pause, and then a devilish grin. "So, how _personal_ are we talking?"

"Haine-chan!" Nataki squealed while shooting her a disapproving look. "Honestly."

"I'm kidding, relax." Then, her smile faded as she clenched her fist. "If I wasn't, _boy_ would he be in trouble."

"Oh Haine-chan." Nataki sighed while shaking her head. "You're too much."

"Not to change topics so suddenly, but I've got to know . . ." Reaching across the table and grasping Nataki's hands in her own she began anew. "We've got to hit up the beach sometime. It'll be August in a couple days, and I want to make sure we plan something soon."

Nataki's eyes twinkled at the thought of swimming in the ocean, collecting seashells, playing volleyball, eating snow cones, walking barefoot through the sand . . .

"I was thinking either next weekend, or the one after that. The beaches will be super crowded the last weekend before the next term starts." Haine suggested.

"Okay, why don't we try for next weekend then?" Nataki offered. "We should invite everyone else to come along too!"

"Of course. The more the merrier, right?" Haine nodded. "I'll probably invite Aya, Minako, and Yumi from swim club." Titling her head in curiosity, Haine inquired, "I'm assuming you'll ask Yugi and the lot if they want to come?"

Nataki nodded. "And Akana-san, too."

Haine raised an eyebrow. "You're on a first name basis, now?" Pinching Nataki's cheek playfully she added, "Perhaps I should be keeping a closer eye on you, Nat. Don't want anyone stealing you from me."

"Oh geez." Nataki laughed. "You don't have to worry about that, Haine-chan. You'll always be special to me."

As Nataki pulled her into a hug, Haine rolled her eyes, but slowly returned the gesture. "I'm glad." While returning to her pizza she asked, "How about Kaibutt?" causing Nataki to almost choke on her pizza, and Haine to erupt into laughter at her reaction.

* * *

Laying in bed with her cordless phone in her hand, Nataki contemplated whether or not to call Yugi to ask about going to the beach. While she certainly wanted to include him in the trip, she hadn't considered how awkward it might be talking to him since the incident at the museum. Of course, Nataki wasn't going to bring it up, and she doubted Yugi would have any reason to randomly start talking about his supposed destiny now if he hadn't yet, so she supposed her worrying about it was pointless. _I mean, I'm just going to ask about going to the beach next weekend . . . and it's not like I'm even going to be talking to him in person. _Yet her hand clutched the phone without any attempt to dial the Kame Game Shop's number. _Ugh, what is wrong with me? _

The sudden ringing of the phone startled her and caused her to drop it onto her bed. Gasping, Nataki stared at the screen as it blinked. _I wonder who it is?_ She thought as she proceeded to pick it up once more. _Only one way to find out._

"Hello?" She said into the phone somewhat curiously.

"Oh, hi Nataki-chan." It was Yugi.

_What the heck?_ "Hi, Yugi-kun. How are you?" She tried to sound casual, rather than a little creeped out by the timing.

"Good. How are you doing?" There a was short pause on the other end of the line before he added, "Working at Kaiba Corp, and otherwise?"

"I'm doing well." She said while leaning back against her pillows. "Working at Kaiba Corp is very fast-paced, but I've really been enjoying it."

"Glad to hear you're doing well." He replied softly. "I was actually calling to ask if you'd be free to meet up tomorrow at the museum?"

_Oh god, does he know? _"The museum?" She hesitated a moment longer before asking, "Um, sure. Any particular reason or . . .?"

The other end of the line was quiet for a moment. "No, not really. Just find all of the Egyptian exhibits super interesting, I guess."

_Why? Because you're literally **in** one of them? _"Okay, cool." A pause. "So, when did you want to meet?"

"How about 1:30?" Yugi suggested.

"That works for me."

"Great." Another awkward pause, and Nataki was starting to feel certain that something wasn't right. "Could you ask Shizukami-san if she's free, as well?"

_So it **is** about the murals we saw. Ishtar-san must have spoken to him, probably after . . . _Her mind vividly replayed the sudden shift in Kaiba's demeanor upon learning that she was calling to speak with him, as well as how he had told her to leave the room. _Oh my god, oh my god._

"S-Sure." Nataki barely managed. "I'll definitely ask her."

"Thanks so much, Nataki-chan." Yugi's voice was a little less stilted now, but Nataki's had practically died in her throat. "Well, I'll see you then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." The words came out without any conscious effort, and she hung up – mind racing a million miles a second with no hope of slowing down.

* * *

**A/N: **Nataki becoming increasingly _freaked out_, yet ANOTHER trip to MUSEUM, and . . . a new nickname for Kaiba courtesy of Haine being a sass master :P

Warning: The next chapter WILL be decently long and dense in plot-centric details/content - get ready :D If you haven't read the previous chapters, it is definitely recommended that you do - they are very character relationship building, but very important to have in place - you'll soon see why ;)

And as always, I look forward to hearing from you all! I welcome all my new followers, and thank those who have been following for a while! Your support means more than you know! I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy this story!


	27. The Point of Intersection

As her dark blue eyes peered up at the sky in wonder, Nataki yearned to be heading anywhere but the Domino City Museum. The display of artifacts had become much less alluring, the exhibits less exciting, and the murals – seemingly miraculous in their authentic depictions of ancient Egyptian history – had now become less than mortifying in their implications. Each successive trip to the museum had created more unrest inside her that, up until this point, she had managed to keep at bay. But now, it seemed that her composure was threatening to collapse . . . and Akana seemed to notice.

Keeping a steady pace beside her, she watched Nataki in scrutinizing silence. Her gold eyes seemed to reflect a bit of concern, but her demeanor suggested otherwise – calm, cool, and collected, or "the three C's" as Haine called them. She had seemed a bit surprised by Nataki's request to join her to meet with Yugi, but had agreed without hesitation, which Nataki had found quite bizarre.

"You're not _weirded_ _out_ by this?" She had asked somewhat abruptly.

"I mean, what is there to be 'weirded out' by?" Akana had inquired. "Ishtar-san seemed to suggest that Mutou-san and Kaiba had seen the murals themselves, so it seems only natural that, upon learning that _we_ saw them as well, there would be a need to discuss them."

"But why _us_?" Nataki had insisted. "Why did Ishtar-san show the murals to _us_? Clearly, they're off limits to the general public."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Was all she offered Nataki as a reply before agreeing to meet with her and walk to the museum together.

* * *

Much sooner than she would have liked, Nataki found herself standing a few feet before the steps leading to the museum. After a deep breath, she proceeded to go inside but stopped upon feeling Akana's hand grasp her own tightly.

"What is it, Akana-san?" She wondered.

Pursing her lips thoughtfully she said, "Don't be nervous."

"I'm not-"

"Your hands are shaking."

Looking down at her hands she realized Akana was right – they were trembling a bit. She wanted to snatch her hand back, but thought better of it and let it hang by her side with Akana's fingers clamped around it.

"Sorry." Nataki apologized, her eyes darting away from Akana. "I guess I'm just feeling out of sorts."

"We're just meeting with Ishtar-san and Mutou-san." She reminded.

"I know." A pause as she considered Akana's words. "You're right."

Akana wore a small smile as she released Nataki's hand and stepped ahead of her to open the doors. The fluorescent lights seemed brighter than usual, and as Nataki peered around she noticed that the museum was empty.

As Akana walked inside, she proceeded past all of the exhibits and headed straight for the basement door. Nataki was amazed at how nonchalant and inconspicuous she was, like her presence was invisible to the world around her. Trying to follow suit, Nataki trailed behind her, but ended up bumping into a few of the plastic cases. Once she was at the door, she waited for Akana to open it, which she did so without much hesitation. Nataki's footsteps down the stairs leading to the basement seemed louder to her this time, and her heartbeat synchronized with them as she followed Akana through the darkness. Isis's voice greeted them as they appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ah, right on time." Came Isis's voice, soft and sincere. "Welcome, Shizukami-san, Kuzana-san."

Nataki could make out the murals on the wall, Isis standing in the middle of them, Yugi standing to her left, and to her right . . .

"Huh, I was unaware _you_ were joining us." Akana said, emphasizing 'you' as if she were speaking to the scum of the Earth.

"Hmph, like I had a choice." Kaiba spat, but his eyes glared across Isis to Yugi, whose face wore an awkward, almost apologetic smile.

"Kaiba-san . . ." Nataki breathed, causing him to turn his attention to her momentarily in acknowledgment. _I didn't know __**he**__ was going to be here. _

Panic began to pierce through her as her mind raced. _Why does Kaiba-san have to be here? After how he reacted to Ishtar-san calling him on Friday I didn't expect him to be here, even if he **did** know about us seeing the murals. Oh god, I can't do this. I can't . . ._

"It's alright." Yugi tried to soften the blow of how overwhelming the whole scenario was. "We're just going to . . . talk."

"About the murals?" Akana interjected. "Or . . . about why you and Kaiba are carved into them?"

Yugi swallowed hard – perhaps this would be more difficult than he originally anticipated?

With a dismissive "Hmph." Kaiba proceeded to say his piece. "Can we move this along, Isis? My time is precious, and I can't afford to spend all day dabbling on and on about the occult."

Isis shot him a tired expression, but nodded. "Yes, Seto." Then, briefly returning her attention to Akana and Nataki before shooting him a look that said "Patience." added, "If I recall correctly, you weren't overly . . . accepting of the idea of magic, so you shouldn't expect from others what you aren't willing to give of yourself."

Kaiba gave Isis a dismissive snort, but nothing more as if suggesting for her to 'get on with it.'

By this point, Nataki was considering making a break for the basement stairs when all the sudden, Akana proceeded toward the mural Isis had referred to as the "Tablet of Lost Memories." She seemed deep in thought as she analyzed the images forever engraved onto the stone. After a moment or two, she looked at Yugi and Kaiba with the most intense gaze Nataki had ever seen.

"These men . . . you both are connected to them in some way, are you not?" She asked both Yugi and Kaiba at the same time.

Yugi nodded and proceeded to hold the pyramid shaped object hanging around his neck in his hands. "Yes. According to Isis-san, the mural depicts a nameless pharaoh dueling his greatest rival." Pausing a moment as if questioning whether or not to continue, he then added "The same nameless pharaoh that apparently dwells inside this – the Millennium Puzzle."

"What do you mean 'dwells inside'?" Nataki exclaimed. "I thought your grandfather brought it back from Egypt as a souvenir?"

Yugi let a nervous laughter escape him. "Well, that part _is_ true, Nataki-chan – my grandfather _did_ find it during one of his archaeological trips in Egypt, but it's no souvenir."

"To have found that item, your grandfather must have been digging in the Valley of the Kings . . ." Akana stated flatly.

Yugi blinked and stared at her in wonderment. "Yes, that's right." Raising an eyebrow he queried, "How did you know about that place, Shizukami-san?"

"I've studied Egyptian history extensively." She reminded as if dismissing Yugi's piqued interest. "So I am well versed in most of its significant landmarks and locations."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Great. Another fan of this crap."

Akana raised an eyebrow. "In what way would you assert that artifacts from three millennia are worthy of the derogatory term you've labeled them with?" Eyes narrowing at him she continued, "We are _nothing_ without our pasts, Kaiba – our existence is procured entirely by the decisions of those who came before us."

At this point Kaiba began to laugh, a sound filled with a deep mockery Nataki hadn't heard from him before. Once it settled into a few deep chuckles in his chest he replied, "Oh _great_. Another supporter of your 'the past predicates the present' ideology, Yugi."

Yugi seemed a bit embarrassed by Kaiba's comment, but resumed his narrative nonetheless – Isis's supportive smile pushing him forward. "As always, we agree to disagree Kaiba-kun." Looking at Nataki and Akana he continued, "As I was saying, this is no souvenir – ever since I assembled this puzzle, I have been able to see and talk to the spirit of the pharaoh who lives inside it."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes in disgust. "Don't forget to mention how you 'transform' into him or whatever you call it."

Nataki's eyes widened. "Yugi-kun, you can't honestly expect us to believe there is another person's . . . _soul_ inside that thing?" Staring at the puzzle she continued, "I mean, I _do_ believe that everything has a soul, and that some people can sense souls and such, but having one trapped inside an object?"

Akana raised an eyebrow, but said nothing – she seemed curious to hear what Yugi had to say.

Looking to Isis first and receiving a nod of encouragement he began, "Maybe it would make more sense if I just show you."

_**Show** us? _Nataki stared at Yugi warily. _Show us **what**?_

All of the sudden, the puzzle in his hands began to glow, and a bright golden light seemed to consume Yugi's entire form.

"Yugi-kun!" Nataki gasped.

Akana's eyes widened, but she said nothing – she just watched in awe.

After a moment, the light dissipated, revealing what appeared to still be Yugi. And yet, the more Nataki began to look at him she quickly began to notice several key differences – he was a few inches taller, his hair seemed more fiery and wild, and most strikingly his eyes – they were no longer quite so soft or kind, but rather more intense . . .

Kaiba smirked. "Thought you weren't going to join us." Then, shaking his head added, "Wouldn't quite feel the same without you adding your two cents about _destiny_ and all that other mumbo jumbo now would it?"

The male who looked similar to Yugi acknowledged Kaiba with a brief turn of his head before shifting his attention to Akana and Nataki, both looking surprised beyond anything.

"Hello." The voice that emerged from his lips was not Yugi's, which Nataki could tell right away. It was too deep of a tone.

"Who are _you_?" Nataki managed to ask before her voice cracked. _Please don't be a nameless pharaoh._

A look of disappointment claimed his face. "Unfortunately, I cannot answer that at this time." Then, turning his head toward the mural he reached for the bottom of the stone where it appeared that some text was missing. "My name has been lost to time. But you may refer to me as 'other Yugi,' if that's acceptable."

_**Other** Yugi? _Nataki eyed the man with panic. _How can this be? _Slapping her cheeks faintly, she hoped to see that everything was a dream – that she was still asleep in bed, hours away from meeting Akana and going to the museum. When Akana placed a firm hand on her shoulder she knew that it wasn't.

"I suppose that seems appropriate, seeing how you resemble his likeness while assuming control of his body." Akana said rather softly. "Although, I am a bit perplexed at the thought of you not knowing your name."

The other Yugi shook his head. "I have a feeling that discovering my name is somehow linked to my destiny in a significant way, but . . ." Turning to look at Kaiba, who gave the impression of suffering from severe boredom he added, "Only time will tell."

Isis cleared her throat, as if signaling her desire to join the discussion. "Yes, this is the spirit that lives inside the puzzle – the 'other Yugi.'" Gesturing to the man across from the nameless pharaoh in the mural she continued, "And this man . . . is his greatest rival." Her cerulean blue eyes darted in Kaiba's direction, then the 'other Yugi's,' and Nataki found it hard to look over at either of them all of the sudden. "I believe that Seto and Yugi are reincarnations of these men, and that the time has come for them to fulfill their destinies as rivals . . ." Turning her attention to Akana and Nataki added, "And perhaps as something more."

Akana raised an eyebrow. "While I find all of this extremely interesting, Ishtar-san, Nataki-san and I are still wondering why you felt the need to include us in on all of this?" Staring at the two men at either side of her she continued, "Surely you must find some point of intersection between us and them?"

Nataki stared in horror at Akana, who seemed to be pushing forward with great momentum, undeterred by the surreal nature of everything happening. _How is she not __**freaking**__**out**__ about this? My blood pressure is probably so high right now I'm going to have an aneurysm. _

Isis's face went grave for a moment. "Why yes, I do believe a . . . point of intersection exists between them and you two." Turning to look at the 'other Yugi,' she asked, "Would you retrieve the three Egyptian God Cards from your deck, Yami?"

_Yami? _Nataki thought. _Why does she call him 'Yami?' _

The 'other Yugi' complied, and Nataki couldn't help noticing how Kaiba's eyes seemed to stare with avarice at the three cards being pulled from his holster filled with trading cards. Once all three were in hand, Isis continued, "Girls . . . I would like you to take a look at these cards – these are the three beasts engraved at the top of the mural." After a brief pause she added, "Yami, if you would be so kind as to hold them out facing the girls?"

The 'other Yugi' complied, and as soon as their eyes made contact with the cards . . .

_What **is** this? _Nataki gasped, feeling a sudden, powerful force pulsate through her. She felt it once, twice, and then she felt her own pulse, a seemingly soft flutter in the background . . .

_It's not mine. _Her body quaked from the force of the foreign pulsation. _This pulse isn't mine._ Panic was scrawled across her face, and she quickly turned to look at Akana, who seemed to be experiencing something similar – her eyes wincing while she held herself as if trying to catch her breath. _What the **hell** is going on?!_ Dark blue eyes looked desperately in the direction of Isis and the others, only to find them staring in shock, completely speechless.

_Run._

Nataki could feel the urge to flee overtake her, and without thinking – acting purely on the mixture of primitive instincts and adrenaline, now – bolted toward the staircase and practically flung herself against the door while pulling it open, landing with a THUD on the ground.

_Run! _

Staggering to her feet, she continued her efforts to escape whatever was happening. She made a mad dash past the exhibits and almost ran into the door to the museum, but reacted quickly and pushed the door open with great force. For a brief moment she could have sworn she had heard Akana's voice calling after her . . .

_RUN!_

Running . . . running . . . until she couldn't anymore. Until her lungs were burning. Until the museum was beyond her line of sight. Until she was absolutely sure that no one had followed her.

Collapsing onto a park bench, Nataki tried to catch her breath. Her heart was beating frantically, but she found comfort in recognizing it as her own – the other pulse long since having disappeared. As the adrenaline wore off and the reality of the situation sunk in, tears began to form in the corners of her eyes and fall one by one onto the bench. Covering her eyes with her arm, she let a gentle sob escape her while trying to fight back the tears.

_I want to go back home. _The thought was sudden, but honest. _I know I said I would make it work, but I really don't want to be here anymore_.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the museum Akana seemed to be grappling with whatever was happening. She felt the strong pulsation as well, and it seemed to be in conflict with her own heartbeat.

_Nataki-san . . . _She tried to call after her, but the force of the foreign pulse drumming through her body knocked the wind out of her. _W-Wait . . ._

As the pulse raged through her with ever-growing force, she began to feel as if her own pulse was the phantom one – waning in and out existence, as if trying to compete with something it could never hope to subdue, let alone equal. _Shit._

Casting a pained expression over at the silent lot in front of her she struggled to say something, but found herself unable to speak despite her efforts.

As if sensing that Akana was on the precipice of something – what that was, she had no idea – Isis spoke up. "That's enough, Yami." Her voice was cracking the slightest bit as concern for the girls weighed heavy on her heart.

The 'other Yugi,' whose face barely masked his bewilderment and horror over whatever had just transpired, quickly turned the God cards away from Akana. Almost instantaneously, she fell to her knees as if unable to maintain her balance any longer, legs giving out from the overwhelming force flowing through her.

Kaiba looked over at Yami expectantly. His cobalt eyes had taken in everything that had happened with clinical detachment, yet his expression seemed to suggest a mixture of surprise and morbid curiosity to know _what_ had happened and _why_. And he imagined Yami shared this desire just as much, if not _more _than he did – being so engrossed with destiny and all that.

"Are you alright, Shizukami-san?" Isis asked as she knelt down in front of her. "Can you stand?"

Akana said nothing as she slowly pushed herself up from the ground and came to a stand in front of her. "Yes." Then, casting a glance in the direction of the two males added, "But I think we need to be done with this for today." _I need to go back to the apartment and regain my composure. And then . . ._

Turning on her heel, she proceeded toward the stairs leading up to the ground floor of the museum. Kaiba was about to protest, but Yami put his hand out in front of him.

"Not now." He stated while shaking his head. "First, we need to speak with Isis about all of this."

"So you're just going to let her _leave_?" Kaiba inquired, his tone incredulous. Turning his head toward the stairs, he could see that Akana had already reached the top step and was opening the door. In an instant, she had disappeared from his sight. Shaking his head in annoyance the CEO marched up to Isis, who seemed to be trying to decipher what all of it meant. "I believe I'm owed an explanation, Isis." Crossing his arms in front of his chest impatiently he added, "That _is_ why I pulled myself away from work."

"And you will receive one." She said softly, her face showing that she was deep in thought. "I've seen what I needed to see, and so have the two of you."

"And what exactly _did_ we see?" Yami demanded rather abruptly.

"A reaction." She pointed out rather flatly. "To the Gods, just as I predicted."

"A reaction?" Kaiba spat. "Well, Kuzana ran away, and the blonde doubled over in pain or something. If I may be so bold, Isis, what exactly was that supposed to show us?"

She closed her eyes for a moment as if replaying the entire scenario over in her head before continuing "It's not just what you _saw_, but also what you _felt_, Seto."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're-"

"The pulse." Yami stated flatly as if refusing to let Kaiba deny it. "We _all_ felt it . . . "

"But not in the same way as them, clearly." Kaiba retorted sharply.

Isis seemed to be mulling over whether or not to elaborate. While she was by no means absolute in her premonition about what everything meant, she _did_ feel certain about one thing.

"That pulse you felt was different from your own, was it not?" She asked as if clarifying.

Kaiba and Yami nodded.

"Yes, it was unlike anything I've ever felt before." He said while clenching his puzzle. "Even Yugi felt it . . ."

"Just say it, Isis!" Kaiba demanded. "Stop stalling."

Turning her attention to the mural once more, she let a heavy sigh escape her. "What you have witnessed is the point of intersection between the gods and mankind . . ." Gazing at the two of them with a grave expression added, "The reawakened pulses of the Egyptian Gods."

* * *

A couple hours passed by while Nataki thought back on how the first few months had been so mundane, filled with everyday affairs and nothing out of the ordinary, she couldn't help wondering why things had come to pass the way they had. _Everything was normal. _She thought to herself. _Everything was fine until . . ._

_Akana-san._

Standing up from her seat on the bench Nataki realized that everything strange had occurred after Akana transferred into her class.

_She knows something. _

Heading in the direction of the Kaika Hana apartment complex, Nataki felt a sudden surge of resolve in herself as she walked onward.

_She knows more than she's letting on. _

Upon reaching the apartments, Nataki waited near the gates outside hoping that Akana had returned to her apartment. _She could still be at the museum . . . _Regardless, Nataki stood there in hopes that she had anticipated Akana's decision to leave after she fled, and was determined to stand there until Akana noticed she was there. Five minutes passed by, then ten . . .

"Nataki-san."

Looking in the direction of her voice, Nataki noticed Akana standing outside of her apartment, hands clenched onto the railing.

"May I come up?" She asked.

"Yes, of course." Akana replied while gesturing for her to do so.

Nataki climbed up the stairs and proceeded toward her, her face a mixture of exasperation and anxiety.

"Are you alright?" Akana inquired, her eyes filled with concern. "You look like you've been crying . . ."

"We need to talk." Nataki replied, her voice filled with more desperation than she realized. "Now."

Akana said nothing in response, as if she had been anticipating Nataki to say that for a long time. She nodded and held the door open, and Nataki stepped inside determined to leave with some answers.

* * *

**A/N: **In this chapter, Isis has hinted at the plot and a "point of intersection" between Nataki, Akana, Yugi, and Kaiba through the Egyptian God monsters. And Nataki wants answers! (As I'm sure you all do as well!) More plot-centric details will be disclosed in the upcoming chapters.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :) Stay tuned for more exciting chapters, and thanks for your support!


	28. An Explanation

"Please, make yourself comfortable." Akana said while disappearing into a small kitchen.

As Nataki looked around at the apartment, she realized how simplistic it was. And while she wasn't one to engage in extensive interior decorating herself, Nataki couldn't help feeling that Akana's apartment contained nothing beyond the bare necessities – no "personality," per say. It was like looking at the skeleton of an apartment rather than one that was being lived in. Which seemed even more peculiar considering Akana was a model and likely made a decent salary. As she began to wonder how much time Akana actually spent in the apartment, she saw her return from the kitchen with what smelt like a citrus-based tea.

"I was in the middle of brewing some Yuzu tea when I noticed you standing outside." Setting down a saucer with a cup of tea onto the table she added, "Care to join me?"

"Sure." Nataki could smell the strong citrus scent as the steam rose up from the cup. Sitting down on one end of the couch she followed with a brief "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Akana replied while leaving for the kitchen once more only to return with her own cup of tea. She slowly seated herself at the opposite end of the couch, as if sensing Nataki's desire for some space between the two of them.

A brief silence filled the air that was momentarily broken by Akana sipping at her tea. She seemed to be waiting for Nataki to make the first move. Still somewhat shaken up by what had happened hours earlier, Nataki didn't know where to start, but she decided to take a shot in the dark.

"About what happened at the museum . . ."

Akana's gold eyes narrowed a bit as they focused on Nataki's face.

"You know something, don't you?"

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Akana seemed to be debating how to answer her question. "Yes."

Nataki's eyes widened a bit. "I thought so." Standing up from her seat, Nataki began to pace back and forth, quickly becoming restless. "Well, spill then – what do you know?"

Akana raised an eyebrow. "You're going to have to be a bit more specific, Nataki-san."

Coming to a stop in front of Akana she clenched her fists as if bracing herself for the impact of what Akana was going to say. "Okay. What do you know about the _mural_?"

"Everything Ishtar-san told us . . ." Sipping at her tea once more she continued, "And a bit more."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

Akana crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well, I knew that it had something to do with us. Which is why I wanted to look at it more closely."

Nataki was starting to sense the roundabout nature of the exchange and began to lose her patience. "But _how_ did you know that? And _what_, exactly, does it have to do with us?" Slamming her hands on the table, causing the tea cups to tremble a bit on their saucers she added, "Is it connected in any way to what happened at the museum?"

"Absolutely." Then in slight irritation she proceeded to say, "And please refrain from such . . . over the top gestures. I wouldn't want this tea to spill or the cups to break."

Nataki's face wore a delicate blush. "S-Sorry." Then, returning to her train of thought continued, "But please, tell me what happened back there . . ."

She leaned forward so that she was eye to eye with Akana, who seemed ambivalent to answer.

"I felt something . . . _horrible_." Nataki continued. "Another pulse or something . . . a really strong one, but it wasn't _mine_." Staring at Akana, hoping to see some trace of understanding she inquired, "Did you feel something like that, too?"

Akana bit her lip and hesitantly replied "Yes, I did." Then, curling her fingers around her cup, she began to gaze into the orange tea inside it. "A very strong pulse, indeed."

"Do you know where it came from?" Nataki gasped. _I feel like we're getting somewhere . . . but now the question is 'Do I want to know where 'somewhere' is?_

"I have an idea." She stated flatly, still staring down at her tea, "But it may sound unbelievable to you."

"Try me." At that moment, Nataki swore she was having an out-of'-body experience, as if she was watching herself have this conversation with Akana from a distance, almost unable to believe how forward she was being.

Akana sighed, her heart clearly heavy by what she was about to say. "The Egyptian God Monsters."

"What?" Nataki blinked, as if uncomprehending.

"The Egyptian God Monsters." Akana repeated. "The man who called himself the 'other Yugi' was holding them in front of us when I felt the pulse."

Nataki's face wore a mixture of shock and fear. "B-But they're just cards!" She exclaimed. "Just like the rest of the Duel Monsters cards made by Pegasus-san!"

Akana's eyes seemed to darken as she continued to speak. "But the cards are based off _real_ monsters." She said as if reminding Nataki of the previous conversations they had shared. "And the Egyptian God Monsters are no exception."

Sinking to her knees, Nataki looked like she had the wind knocked out of her. Akana proceeded to gently slide the saucer with Nataki's untouched tea over toward her, as if gesturing for her to take a break and regain her composure.

"It's getting cold." She advised softly.

Staring at the tea with disinterest, but yearning for a brief moment to process what Akana had just told her, Nataki acquiesced and brought the cup of tea to her lips. The citrus flavor tasted refreshing and soothing as it coated her throat and warmed her from the inside. Smiling briefly, she couldn't help thinking how comforting tea was. Returning her attention to the conversation, Nataki began once more. "Okay, so I guess my next question would be _why_ did the cards give off a pulse in the first place?"

Akana stared at Nataki with some hesitation, but she replied. "My understanding is that, after three millennia of slumber, they've finally been reawakened."

Nataki's eyes stared at Akana with disbelief. _Three millennia? Reawakened? What the heck is she talking about? _

A slight flicker of amusement shone in her eyes now as she looked at Nataki sitting idle, unsure of how to proceed. "Is this . . . too much for you, Nataki-san?"

"No." She replied almost immediately, dismissing any trepidation in her demeanor. _I need to know what's going on . . . no matter how terrifying and unbelievable it all seems. I just have to._

"Are you certain? Because we don't have to-"

"I'm sure." Nataki breathed. "So, when you say 'reawakened' . . .?"

Akana clasped her hands on her lap. "I mean, they have regained their consciousness."

_Consciousness? _Nataki grimaced. "Okay, but that still doesn't explain why _we_ felt it."

Staring up at the ceiling momentarily as if trying to delay as much as possible, Akana finally said "Because the ka of the Egyptian God Monsters reside inside of _us_."

At that moment it seemed that time itself had come to a standstill, and the smallest of sounds struck Nataki with acute clarity – the ticking of the wall clock, dripping of the faucet, Akana tapping her finger nails against the porcelain tea cups . . .

_What?_

"Nataki-san?" Akana asked, her tone inflecting a bit out of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Uh-huh." The words came out, but in a disjointed manner "When you say 'inside us,' do you mean . . . _literally_ inside us?"

"Yes." Placing her hand in front of her chest she continued, "The _ka_, or spiritual entities of the God Monsters dwell inside the same space within us occupied by _our_ spiritual entities, or _ba_."

Suddenly, Nataki began to feel cold, as if the blood in her body was recoiling deeper into her, leaving her hands and feet clammy and trembling. "Oh."

Reaching out to place her arms upon Nataki's shoulders, Akana tried to contain the wave of horror clearly washing over her. "I know this sounds very . . . grave, but I promise you that everything will be alright." Bringing her into her arms more fully, Akana held Nataki's somewhat limp form against her in a comforting manner. "I promise."

The words Akana spoke seemed heavy with resolve and truth, but also with an ominous foreboding of something to come. "How can you promise something like _that_?" Nataki wondered aloud, her mind a centrifuge as it tried to separate everything in ways that made sense to her.

Pushing Nataki away so that she could look at her as she spoke, Akana shot her the most empathetic expression she had ever seen. "Because I've never let you down before, and I don't plan to now."

_Akana-san . . ._

Then, something she said resonated inside Nataki. "Wait, what do you mean . . . 'before?'" Pulling away from Akana's embrace she found herself eyeing the girl with scrutiny. "We haven't met previously . . ." Then, remembering how Akana had stared at her so intensely the first day she met her at school she added, ". . . have we?"

Akana tilted her head slightly and shot Nataki a smile that seemed to be masking a sudden spell of sadness. "No, _we_ haven't met previously in _this_ lifetime."

Nataki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat upon hearing the way Akana had emphasized those two words purposefully, but what purpose Nataki hadn't the slightest clue.

"But that is something . . . for another time." She continued while seeming to circle back to her original thought. "As I said, I will help you in any way that I can, so don't worry." Running her fingers through a few of Nataki's stray raven strands she seemed to exude utmost certainty in her ability to follow through with her words – to 'put her money where her mouth was,' so to speak. And for some reason she couldn't quite comprehend, Nataki believed her.

"Especially since this time . . . _they're_ involved." She muttered.

_She must mean Yugi-kun and Kaiba-san. _Nataki thought while remembering the carvings of the two men on the mural connected to the two of them in some way.

"How are _they_ involved?" Nataki managed to ask. "With whatever is happening to us, I mean."

Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully and then grimaced. "You will see soon enough." Was all she offered Nataki before standing up with her cup of tea and retreating to the kitchen for a moment.

Feeling light headed all of the sudden, Nataki reached for her cup of tea on the table only to find herself struggling to clutch it with her fingers. When she finally did secure it in her hands, she noticed that it was shaking a bit. Akana noticed this as she made her way back into the living room and suggested "Why don't you lay down for a bit?" When Nataki shot her a look of surprise she added, "Surely today has been extremely . . . exhausting – we can talk more about all of this tomorrow."

Nataki nodded reluctantly, lacking the mental fortitude to turn down the offer to shut off the world that seemed to be falling apart and crumbling to pieces around her. As Akana pulled out the couch, making it into a small bed, Nataki began to wonder if anything would ever go back to the way it had been before – a much simpler time.

Once she had placed a pillow underneath Nataki's head and covered her with a blanket – trying to create a somewhat comfortable makeshift bed for the tired and terrified girl, Akana smiled faintly. "Rest here, tonight."

"But . . ." Nataki remembered she had work in the morning. _Kaiba-san . . . _The memory of his piercing cobalt eyes, which had watched her and Akana react to the God Monsters with noticeable curiosity at the museum, suddenly came to mind and sent a chill through her. _I really don't want to go into work tomorrow, but . . ._

"I insist." She countered. "Besides, I hardly think it wise to send you home now."

"But, I have work in the morning . . ." Nataki managed to say before bringing her hand to her forehead as if trying to stop the tension headache quickly forming there. "Kaiba-san will be upset if I'm late."

"I'll deal with Kaiba." She could hear Akana say with reassurance, and also a bit of loathing in her tone of voice, before adding "Now, rest." in a much gentler voice. Leaving no room for argument, Akana disappeared into her bedroom down the hall, leaving Nataki reluctant to fall asleep, but helpless to fight against the weight of reality bearing down on her any longer.

* * *

**A/N:** A trivial, but fun fact about Akana: she really enjoys citrus flavor, and Yuzu tea is made from a citrus fruit called Yuzu that grows in Eastern Asia. :) Also we see a different side to Akana than previously shown . . . and a major detail of the plot as it involves her and Nataki.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	29. Mixing the Magical with the Mundane

Sleep had come surprisingly easy once Nataki closed her eyes, and before she knew it morning had arrived. Looking around at her surroundings, she remembered that she had stayed at Akana's for the night. Quietude filled the apartment except for the sound of someone talking in the distance. Sitting up slowly, Nataki half-listened to the speaker, whose voice she recognized finally as Akana's, although it seemed more acute than usual.

"I understand that." She stated flatly, her tone biting. "But that fact of the matter is that she will _not_ be in today, so I suggest you either find someone else to fill in for her, or just deal with it." After a quick SNAP of what Nataki imagined was the shutting of a flip phone came footsteps, and Nataki shrunk down into the sheets to appear as if she had just woken up, not wanting Akana to know she had overheard her speaking.

The sound of her footsteps became louder, signaling she was getting nearer and then . . .

"My apologies, Nataki-san." Came her voice soft, almost melodious. "Did I wake you?"

Looking up in her direction, Nataki shook her head. "No, you didn't." Then, recognizing that the cell phone clasped tightly in Akana's hand was hers she added, "And were you . . . talking to someone on my phone?"

Akana let out a sigh of irritation – not at Nataki, but at remembering the entire conversation that had just transpired. "Yes." Sitting down at the end of the makeshift bed, Akana tucked a few golden strands behind her ear and leaned forward. "Kaiba called about you coming into work, and I told him that it simply wasn't going to happen today."

Nataki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and shot her a worried look. _He's probably really upset with me. _She reached for her cellphone still in Akana's hand, but gasped upon seeing her pull back. "Please give me my phone back."

"You don't need to run it by him." Her voice sounding more like a command than a request. "I've already taken care of it, just as I told you I would."

It was true, of course. Nataki recalled how Akana had assured her that work would not be of any concern in the morning, and she had made good of her word. "But I should still call to tell him myself." She countered. "I _did_ agree to take the job, so I owe him an explanation if I'm not going to be in."

Akana's face reflected sheer disgust at her word choice, as if the idea of Nataki _owing_ that man _anything_ was absurd and detestable. In fact, Nataki could've sworn that Akana's demeanor almost suggested that Kaiba was _beneath_ both of them, and had no right to be owed anything from either of them. Ever. Staring at Nataki, gold eyes fixated on her look of concern, she acquiesced and dropped the phone on the bed in front of her. "Fine."

Reaching for the phone, Nataki exhaled and started to dial his number. She noticed Akana stand up and disappear into the kitchen, but knew better than to assume she wouldn't be listening to the conversation while busying herself. The phone barely got through one ring before he picked up.

"_What_?" Kaiba asked curtly. He was clearly still agitated by the exchange he had with Akana only minutes ago.

"Hi Kaiba-san." Came Nataki's voice, meek and mild.

There was a brief moment of hesitation on the other end of the phone. _He probably wasn't expecting to hear __**my**__ voice._

"Kuzana." He acknowledged finally, voice a shred softer. He said nothing else though, which made Nataki think he was likely waiting for her to explain herself. _Better just rip off the bandage . . ._

"I'm very sorry it's such short notice, but I won't be able to come into work today."

"Yeah, your _friend_ already told me." He spat. "Care to elaborate?"

Nataki's fingers clutched the phone a more tightly while considered what she should tell him. _I mean, I hardly think being 'freaked out by magical stuff' qualifies as a valid excuse . . ._

"On second thought, don't bother." He interjected before she could say anything. "I don't feel like talking about that occult crap any longer – had my fill of it over the weekend."

Nataki could sense his frustration and it made her stomach feel like it was in knots. "I really am sorry-"

"Don't." His tone was biting. "You'll be back in tomorrow?"

"Yes." Her answer came almost immediately, much to her surprise and horror. Then, composing herself she added, "And I'll make up for today, I promise."

"Fine." Was all he offered in response before ending the call.

Nataki sat speechless, phone in hand handing limp at her side. With almost perfect timing, Akana re-entered the living room carrying a tray of what appeared to be an assortment of fresh-cut fruit.

"If you're up for the day, shall we turn your bed back into a couch?" She asked.

"Ah, of course!" Nataki replied, staggering to her feet a bit. Once she had steadied herself, she began to tuck the bed back into the couch. After setting the tray down onto the living room table, Akana joined her, and a moment or two later the makeshift bed returned to its former arrangement.

"All right." Akana chirped, her voice more lighthearted sounding than before. "Well, shall we?" She offered while reaching for the two plain ceramic bowls filled to the rim with different colored chunks of fruit and a small fork.

"Thank you so much." Nataki replied, gently taking one of the bowls from her. Without trying to make it obvious, she looked at the variety of fruit with curiosity. Akana noticed, unable to miss much of anything, it seemed, and raised an eyebrow.

"If there is something in there you don't like, feel free to leave it."

"No, it's not that!" Nataki exclaimed, her face flushing a bit in embarrassment. "I just never would have thought to mix some of these fruits together." Then, noticing a few light green chunks added, "And are these pieces of melon?"

Akana smiled softly before plucking a piece with her fork and eating it. "Yes, I'm quite fond of them."

"But they're so expensive!" Nataki sighed. "Even the more modestly priced ones . . . so I don't buy them often."

Akana nodded knowingly. "Yes, they are a bit pricey, but I like to indulge sometimes." She said with a wink.

Nataki chuckled lightly. "That's not a bad thing. I indulge sometimes, too. Except mine is of the confectionery sort." She explained sheepishly.

A small smirk tugged at Akana's lips as she watched Nataki pick out a strawberry slice and pair it with a piece of kiwi, as if trying to capture the strawberry-banana flavor. "There's nothing wrong with that in moderation."

Nataki smiled. Sitting and chatting with Akana had come to feel somewhat familiar to her, for some reason she couldn't quite explain. There was just something in the way Akana spoke to her . . .

The sound and sensation of Nataki's phone vibrating against the table interrupted her train of thought and she quickly set down her bowl to retrieve it only to see she had a text message from Haine.

"I wonder what she wants . . . " She thought aloud before it clicked. "Oh that's right! I completely forgot!"

Akana raised an eyebrow but said nothing, venturing instead to pluck a few more pieces of fruit from her bowl.

"Would you mind if I call her real quick?" Nataki asked suddenly. _It would be better if I talk to her on the phone rather than text her._

"Of course not." She stated calmly. "Take your time."

Nataki bowed politely while excusing herself to find a more private spot to call Haine. Upon noticing the bathroom, she turned on the light and shut the door behind her, locking it. Pacing back and forth while listening to Haine's cell phone ring once, twice. By the third ring, Nataki was wondering why she wasn't picking up and then . . .

"Hey Nat." Came her voice finally.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nataki replied. "Hi Haine-chan."

Before she could say anything more, Haine started laying into her asking "I haven't heard from you in a bit – what's up? Have you heard back from anyone yet about the beach trip?"

"I'm sorry, Haine-chan. I've had a lot of unexpected things come up lately." She tried, not wanting to say too much. _Haine-chan would think I'm __**crazy**__, and besides she doesn't need to know about all of that anyway . . ._

But Haine was persistent. "Like what?" A pause. "Is everything okay?"

Nataki could feel a sense of panic rising up inside her. "Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't it be?" Trying to regain her three C's, she continued "And no, I actually haven't had time to ask anyone about the beach trip yet."

"Okay, well make sure you ask them soon. Like, by Wednesday the latest." She stated flatly. "I already checked with the girls from swim team, and as far as I know Minako and Yumi can make it. I'm still waiting to hear back from Aya . . ."

Staring at her own reflection in the vanity mirror, Nataki listened to Haine go on and on about things that, at this point, seemed so trivial compared to the grand scheme of things . . . meaning, of course, what she learned at the museum from Isis and Akana. But these seemingly insignificant things were important to Haine, and herself as well, or at least she _wanted_ them to be. But even if it felt like her world was turning upside down, and that she had so many questions she thought she might drive herself crazy, or she was fearful of what the future had in store for her, Nataki still wanted to _feel_ like a normal sixteen-year-old girl who saw trivial things in a big way. Because if she lost _that_ . . .

"Yo, Nat! You still there?"

"Huh?" Nataki gasped, coming back into reality. "Yes, sorry about that."

"You space out all the time anymore." Haine stated somewhat annoyed. "You should get that checked."

"Ha. Ha." Nataki laughed sarcastically.

"Well anyway, I should probably let you get back to work." She said. "Wouldn't want Kaibutt to get upset with you."

Under normal circumstances Nataki would have been stifling a laugh, but she couldn't shake the feeling that seeing him the next day was going to be awkward and uncomfortable, and that realization made her sad. _Why did things have to be this way?_

"Yeah." Nataki lied, feeling sick inside for having to do so. Each time she lied to Haine, she could feel a gap growing between the two of them, creating a chasm that one day would be too large to get across. "Well, I'll definitely make sure I get in touch with Yugi-kun and the others about the beach trip."

"Okay, cool." Haine replied. "Later, gator."

Nataki could feel her throat closing in around her words. "In a while, crocodile." And then she was gone, and an inexplainable sadness loomed heavy in her chest.

Coming back to reality she figured that, since she was already in the bathroom, she may as well use it to get cleaned up for the day. After swishing around some mouthwash, rinsing her face off with some mild soap, and fixing her hair as best she could, settling for a quick side braid, Nataki returned to the living room only to find Akana sitting quietly reading what appeared to be a magazine. A famous celebrity stood tall on the front cover surrounded by captions and headlines drawing attention to weight loss solutions, the hottest fashion trends, and mind-blowing sex tips and tricks. Nataki sort of coughed into her hand to announce her return, which received a glance from Akana, who presently set the magazine down on the table.

"Sorry about that." She apologized.

"No apology needed." Akana said plainly. "Was that Suzude-san?"

"Yeah." Nataki nodded while sitting back down on the couch and reaching for her unfinished breakfast. "She mentioned wanting to plan a beach trip for either this weekend or the next and asked me if I had checked with anyone yet, which reminds me . . ." Turning to face Akana with a hopeful smile she added, "Would you like to come? I meant to ask you, but sort of forgot with all the ancient Egyptian mural stuff."

Akana smiled faintly. "Understandable." Then, folding her hands neatly on her lap she continued "And yes, I would love to go."

"Great!" She exclaimed.

"Are you thinking of asking Mutou-san and the others?"

Nataki nodded. "Yes, but now I feel kind of awkward asking Yugi-kun after . . . last night."

Akana shot her a look of understanding while reaching over and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You needn't feel that way."

Nataki still looked unconvinced, so Akana continued. "Mutou-san comes across as being a very sensitive, compassionate young man, so I doubt he would bring up what happened at the museum unless it was absolutely necessary, knowing how uncomfortable it made you feel."

Nataki smiled faintly at her words. She knew Akana was right about Yugi. The boy was so soft-spoken and kind, and he always tried to be sensitive of others' feelings, even Kaiba's. "Okay, I'll ask him soon."

"Good." Akana chirped. "Now, we should make good use of your day off from work." Standing up and stretching her arms above her head, she continued "Finish up your breakfast, and then we'll do something fun.."

"But-" Nataki tried. "You said there was more you were going to tell me?"

Turning on her heel as she made her way to the hallway, Akana flicked her golden hair behind her shoulder. "All in due time." Then, she disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Nataki to finish eating her bowl of fruit.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi all! I'm very happy to hear from you! I extend a heartfelt "Thank you!" to those who have been following this story for a long time, and warmly welcome those who have recently decided to follow this fic! :)

This chapter was a necessary semi-filler, so I hope you will stay tuned as the upcoming chapters will continue to meet with the plot head-on! And we start to see Nataki's relationship dynamics between her and Haine and her and Akana shift a bit.

A note to guest reviewers: Thank you so much and just know I read ALL of my comments (including yours!) even though I cannot private message you back. /3


	30. Then and Now

Spending the day out and about with Akana had proven to be more relaxing than Nataki imagined it would be – considering how uneasy she had felt the night before. It was a casual outing, to be sure, but that was what made it so worthwhile to her – she needed _some_ sense of normalcy in her life, perhaps now more than ever.

Scooping up more frozen yogurt from her cup, Nataki smiled. "I can't believe how good this is!"

Akana nodded knowingly while taking a spoonful of her own. "I much prefer frozen yogurt over ice cream, and it's healthier." Winking playfully she added, "It's a 'win-win.'"

Nataki chuckled and began to stir the strawberries and blueberries into her yogurt more. "It really is very tasty. Especially with all of the fruit mixed into it."

"I'm happy to see you enjoying it." Akana said warmly while leaning back against the bench. She began to gaze out at the landscape in front of her in silent serenity, leading Nataki to do the same. The park was moderately quiet except for the intermittent sounds of joggers, a stray musician strumming his guitar, and a handful of children playing with their parents off in the distance.

"Thank you for today." She began, her eyes looking over in Akana's direction with gratitude. "I think I needed this more than I realized."

Turning to face Nataki, Akana shot her a small, seemingly all-knowing smile. "Always happy to help, Nataki-san."

A brief moment of silence followed as Nataki considered whether or not to resume discussing the situation in which her and Akana found themselves presently – by which, of course, she meant the murals and the connection between it, them, and the two most powerful duelists in the world. It was strange, really – like a morbid fascination with something that instilled both fear and curiosity, a deadly mixture. As if sensing the reasoning behind her quiet, Akana raised an eyebrow.

"I can tell something is weighing heavily on your mind." She began while setting down her empty frozen yogurt cup. "Tell me."

Nataki bit her lip, unsure of whether or not to open the big can of worms after having such a nice day out. _It's like, I worry about __**not**__**knowing**__, but at the same time I worry about what I'm going to __**learn**__. It's just . . . impossible. _Finishing the last bit of her frozen yogurt, Nataki stood up and proceeded to throw out her container, grabbing Akana's as well.

"Thank you." Akana said softly, her golden eyes still staring expectantly at Nataki, who was settling back into her seat on the bench. Upon noticing her impatient gaze Nataki sighed.

"It's just . . . I don't know." She tried, fidgeting with her hands folded neatly on top of her lap. "I guess I feel unsure of what to do with this whole thing."

"By 'thing,' you mean the information Ishtar-san and I told you?"

Nataki nodded. "Yeah. I just feel so . . . incredibly _awful_ about it, but at the same time I know it's important to hear about . . . to talk about." A pause. "With you."

Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully before turning her body to face Nataki more directly. "I understand." She breathed the words while closing her eyes. "Each time it is a bit more challenging for you to accept, but ultimately you are able to come to terms with it." Smiling empathetically at Nataki she continued, "And this time will be no different, I'm sure."

"You keep saying 'this time' like we're repeating something that's already happened." Nataki stated, clearly picking up on Akana's almost nostalgic demeanor.

"Because it has." She acknowledged carefully.

"What?" Nataki blinked.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest before responding, Akana cleared her throat. "I imagine you've been acquainted with the concept of reincarnation?" Pointing her index finger into the air in front of them, she proceeded to trace a circular pattern. "Put simply, it is the concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, can begin a new life in a new body. The ancient Egyptians were only one of many early civilizations who believed in such a concept."

Nataki stared at Akana incredulously, but didn't say anything.

"Do you believe in the possibility of such a concept, Nataki-san?"

She appeared pensive for a moment, thinking back about how similar Yugi looked to the pharaoh carved into the mural, before finally replying, "I've never really thought about it to be completely honest." Scratching her head a bit as if considering the possibility she added, "It seems sort of unbelievable, but . . . I guess it could be true. Maybe." Then, she shook her head. "I don't know how I feel about _anything_ anymore."

Akana reached over and placed her hand on Nataki's forehead to ease the anxiety beginning to make itself apparent. "Well, reincarnation is at the center of _our_ existence, Nataki-san." She whispered, her voice soft and soothing. "Just as Kaiba and Mutou-san are connected to their past counterparts on the mural, so, too are we connected in a similar way."

Nataki gently pulled back from Akana, who seemed to appear the slightest bit hurt by the gesture, but not uncomprehending of Nataki's trepidation. She sighed and clasped her hands together, resting them on her lap.

"So you're saying that _we_ . . . are reincarnations of people who used to live in Egypt thousands of years ago?"

Akana nodded. "Precisely." Combing a few golden strands back from her face she continued, "And the cycle of rebirth has remained in place for us since that time."

Nataki stood up from her seat on the bench. "So basically, what you're telling me, is that I – Kuzana, Nataki – have been reincarnated multiple times?"

"Yes, but not quite."

Stamping her foot a bit in frustration Nataki groaned, her headache getting worse from trying to make sense of what Akana was telling her. Everything seemed completely asinine, really, but she had even less disbelief in the fact that Akana was making all of this up . . . unless she was crazy. _But I highly doubt that._

"Then what _do_ you mean?"

"Patience." Akana said as if reminding her. "To put it simply, your soul has existed for thousands of years, but has been reborn into a human body that, while sharing your _physical_ features, develops into a different individual." Smiling as if remembering something a time long since past, she continued "The first time we met, you were a _very_ different person, Nataki-san."

Swallowing the lump in her throat she dared to ask, "How, exactly?"

Akana's smile remained. "Well, you were quite an audacious girl. You could sweet talk almost anyone. And you were very proud of who you were and what you were capable of." Laughing lightly she added, "Very untamed, if you will."

Nataki proceeded to sit back down on the bench, slumping onto it with embarrassment. "Sounds like I was a handful." She stated while gently tracing her braid.

Shaking her head dismissively Akana replied, "No, not at all. You were, ah, what's the word . . . spunky." Patting Nataki on the head affectionately she continued, "I was quite fond of you."

A sudden burst of sadness filled her, and she looked at Akana in wonder. "Do you . . . miss her?" Then, clenching her hands into small fists at her sides proceeded to say, "I mean, who I used to be?"

Akana seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Yes and no." Gently removing Nataki's hand from her braid, she added "May I?" Nataki seemed a bit taken aback, but merely nodded and sighed as she felt Akana's hands unweaving the braid almost reverently.

Looking out into the distance at the stray jogger running by while combing her fingers through the now free-flowing raven strands, Akana continued, "I miss each and every form of 'you' that has ever come to pass because each was so unique from the other." Then she turned her head to look directly at Nataki. "But I also find it intriguing to meet another 'you' each time we are reincarnated."

Nataki sat in silence while considering Akana's words. The thought of being reincarnated in and of itself was beyond believable as it were, but now . . .

"If we're both part of something to do with the God Monsters, then how is it that you know _everything_ and I know pretty much _nothing_?"

Akana contemplated how much longer she could engage in a discussion of such density with Nataki, not wanting to push the poor girl too much. Yet she felt compelled to continue with her explanation as much as possible. After all, Nataki needed to be in the know, and soon. Who knew how much longer time was on their side?

"That is a repercussion of the nature of our existence, I'm afraid. My memories are always accessible, whereas yours always require some effort to retrieve."

Nataki shuddered at the thought of what she had forgotten that would need to be remembered, as well as the things Akana remembered and could never forget. Sensing her unease, Akana reminded her "It will be okay, I promise."

"You keep saying that like you have control over everything." Nataki said flatly.

Akana smirked. "I _do_ have control over much of this, to a large extent."

Nataki's eyes widened. "Then why not just tell me everything _now_?" Voice cracking a bit she continued, "If I have to know eventually, why prolong the inevitable?"

Akana's smile disappeared and, in its absence, a grave look became present. "I made the mistake of doing that once before, and will never be so careless as to make that same mistake again."

_Mistake? _"What happened?" Nataki inquired.

Shaking her head dismissively, she replied "What happened _then_ is of no importance for you to know _now_." Running her fingers through Nataki's raven strands once more she added, "Just trust that I am doing right by you."

Nataki frowned, but wasn't about to protest further. "Okay." Sighing heavily she continued, "Well, I have one more question and then we can take a break from all this."

Akana sat up straight and waited silently.

"How are we connected to Yugi-kun and Kaiba-san?"

Jawline becoming tense, Akana thought about her next few words carefully. "Until now, those two souls were present in only one of our lifetimes – the first one." Staring up at the sun beginning to dip near the horizon line, revealing how much time had passed she continued, "And they were the two most powerful individuals alive."

Nataki's eyes did little to conceal the concern she was feeling over the matter.

"Because they were the only two mortal men capable of summoning and commanding the most powerful monsters . . . including the Egyptian Gods."

A shudder went through her as she began to make the connection. "The God Monsters . . . that are inside _us_?"

"Yes." A pause. "I believe they are the only two individuals chosen by the God Monsters as their respective mortal masters capable of summoning and controlling them." A somewhat grave look claimed her face suddenly. "Having a God's power at your fingertips is commanding a sheer force unlike anything imaginable."

Nataki gasped, her face doing little to mask the panic spreading through her. "Do they _know_ that?"

Akana narrowed her eyes slightly as if conflicted. "Possibly . . . I don't know _what_ Ishtar-san told them, but my guess is that she doesn't know _too_ much about us, since much of our history has been lost to time and was never formally recorded." Smiling she pointed to her head. "_I_ am the only one who truly knows about _us_."

Nataki sat quietly, her mind trying to make sense of everything, her body trying to steady itself from the impact of the world bearing down on her.

"As I told you," Akana began anew while pulling Nataki into her arms, embracing her. "Everything will be alright. I will do everything in my power to help you, Nataki-san."

Nataki could tell that the sentiment was sincere, and the feelings behind them familiar. Returning the gesture, Nataki gently wrapped her arms around Akana. "Thank you." Was all she managed to say between short, staggered breaths. "Thank you so much."

She wasn't certain, but she could have sworn she heard Akana mutter something of an endearment in Egyptian that, while she couldn't understand it, felt like it meant "You're welcome."

* * *

**A/N**: More details about Nataki and Akana, and a little glimpse into their past. :)


	31. Mounting Tensions

Tuesday morning had come, and with it the inevitable return to Kaiba Corporation. Although Akana had insisted that she take as much time as she felt necessary, Nataki knew she had an obligation to Kaiba (she had already given her word that she would be in), and the sooner she got the awkward icebreaker over with, the quicker she could (hopefully) jump back into her work routine.

After signing in at the front desk, she headed toward the elevator and noticed the doors beginning to close.

"Hold the doors, please!" She shouted while hurrying toward it. Much to her surprise, someone must have pressed the button to open the doors back up, and she hurried inside. "Thank you." She said softly while trying to fix her hair, which looked a bit disheveled.

"Don't mention it, Kuzana-san." A familiar voice offered.

Peering over in the direction of the voice she spotted Mokuba standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest, a friendly smile adorning his face.

"Good morning, Mokuba-san." She greeted congenially.

"You, too." He replied. "Where _were_ you yesterday?"

Nataki bit her lip for a moment. She wasn't sure if Kaiba had said anything to Mokuba regarding what happened at the museum, but chances were he most likely hadn't, which meant she shouldn't say anything about. And then there was the fact that she was confined in an elevator with a handful of other Kaiba Corp. employees who _definitely_ shouldn't know about _that_. . . she honestly felt like she had no choice but to think up a quick lie, and what better than the tried and true . . .

"I wasn't feeling well, so I thought it best to stay home."

Mokuba blinked. "Oh, sorry to hear that." Scratching his head, clearly not sure what to say in response, he settled for "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better."

Nataki smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem."

The elevator came to a smooth stop on the fifth floor, and a few employees exited, leaving it relatively quiet the remainder of the way up. Nataki shot Mokuba a curious glance upon noticing that he hadn't hit the button for the tenth floor, which was where he generally worked. Reading her expression he said, "I'm actually going to speak with Seto about something first, so I'm getting off with you."

Nataki nodded. "Okay, cool." _I won't be walking in alone . . . what a relief!_

"Hopefully Seto will let you come down to work with me again sometime." A pause. "It was nice to have someone to talk to and show off my hard work to."

An appreciative smile claimed her face. "I'd like that very much, Mokuba-san."

With a quick rub of his nose and bright smile, Mokuba had unknowingly become just the pick-me-up she needed. Nataki chuckled lightly at the thought.

Once the elevator reached the twelfth floor and the doors opened, both of them stepped off and proceeded toward Kaiba's office. Mokuba knocked twice before saying, "Nii-sama, it's me – Mokuba! Kuzana-san is with me, too!" His voice was chipper and Nataki couldn't help smiling a bit.

After a brief moment of silence came his reply which, much to her surprise, sounded more tired than anything else. "Come in."

Pulling open the door and holding it for Nataki, Mokuba walked inside with a lot of spring in his step, with Nataki following suit as best she could (considering the circumstances). Watching Mokuba prance up to Kaiba, his onyx hair bouncing slightly as he did so, made the situation feel less uncomfortable. _I'm so glad Mokuba-san is here . . ._

Kaiba looked at his younger brother only momentarily before shifting his focus to her, cobalt eyes seemingly less cold and calculating in appearance than usual. Taking a few cautious steps toward his desk, Nataki wondered if he was still angry about what had happened at the museum, and _what_, exactly, he _knew_ about her . . . and Akana. He wore his usual poker face, so it was impossible to try to read him, but she tried nonetheless.

"Good morning, Kaiba-san." She greeted politely.

"Morning." He replied before massaging his temples. Then, gesturing to the calendar on her desk continued, "Bring that over. I want to check something."

She did exactly as he asked and slowly set it down in front of him. Nataki's dark blue eyes watched him patiently, but her focus shifted to what she thought was the sound of Mokuba brewing a cup of coffee in the background. She had never seen the boy drink coffee before, but supposed that, if he was anything like his older brother, he might like it. With a heavy sigh that reclaimed her attention, Kaiba handed the calendar back to her. "Everything looks fine."

"Great." Nataki replied. "So do you have an updated schedule for me?"

Rolling his eyes as if insulted, the CEO pulled open a desk drawer and removed a black folder with the company's insignia printed on it, which Nataki assumed was the same one he had been using to store her schedules and plans since she started. "Of course." He stated flatly while handing it to her. "If you have any questions, just ask."

And with that he gave her a dismissive nod and proceeded to resume his work.

"Okay, thank you." She replied with a bow before seating herself at her desk. She then remembered that she had forgotten to store her bento in the mini fridge and proceeded over to do so, but sort of hesitated when she heard Mokuba approach his brother's desk.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you . . ." He started after setting down the mug of hot coffee onto the coaster on his brother's desk.

"About?" Kaiba inquired while analyzing a pie chart that broke down the shareholder percentages of the company's stock. He then acknowledged Mokuba's kind gesture with a appreciative nod.

"Well, since Battle City was a major selling point for your new virtual reality duel disk system, I was thinking . . . could we pitch some sort of mini tournament or something for the end of the year to advertise my Capsule Monsters Redux project?"

Kaiba's eyes remained fixated on the screen, but he seemed to be considering the possibility. "_When_, exactly, would you anticipate the project to be completed?"

"Um, probably by September." Strumming his fingers across his brother's solid oak desk he added, "Maybe sooner."

It was then that Kaiba let out a heavy sigh of irritation, causing Nataki to shove her bento into the fridge and quickly retreat to her work-space. She could anticipate a line of fire forming, and didn't want to be anywhere near it.

"Mokuba, we've gone over this – I'm _not_ going to plan something if you have _any_ doubts regarding when your project will be done." Crossing his arms in front of his chest he continued, "You've seen how much testing and tweaking goes into finalizing a prototype before it can be considered 'finished.'"

"I know." Mokuba said quietly.

"_Do_ you?" Kaiba groaned. "Because here we are, having this same conversation _again_."

"Fine." Pushing back off the desk Mokuba let a quick sound of irritation escape him as he made his way toward the door. "I'll let you know when I'm finished with the prototype." And with a somewhat abrupt shut of the door, he was gone.

Nataki couldn't help feeling a bit saddened by Mokuba's sudden change in demeanor. _I understand what Kaiba-san is saying, but . . . _Shifting her attention quickly back to Kaiba, who seemed slightly annoyed by Mokuba's attitude, but had continued looking over the pie chart shortly after, she continued her train of thought. _He's really excited about all the work he's been doing and just wants to be successful with his __**own**__ project. _Looking up from the computer screen as if sensing her delay in work, Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" He asked suddenly, jarring her thoughts of Mokuba to a standstill.

"Ah, no." Nataki replied. "I was just . . . checking this over quickly." She added, tapping the schedule with the eraser end of a pencil, which seemed to appease him._ I need to be as focused as possible._ But upon remembering what Mokuba had said to her in the elevator, she felt a slight wave of sadness inside her. _Sorry, Mokuba-san._

* * *

Hours passed by, and soon enough Nataki was ready to take her lunch break. Proceeding over toward the mini fridge, she couldn't help noticing that the CEO hadn't taken more than a sip of the coffee Mokuba had made him in the morning. She sighed, set her lunch down onto her desk, returned to his desk. When reached for the coffee, Kaiba looked up from a report he was reading.

"I'm still working on that." He stated flatly.

"Yes, I noticed." She replied while bringing it over to the microwave. "But apparently not _too_ hard – your coffee is stone cold."

Kaiba crinkled his nose in irritation, but did not offer any kind of response. Standing up from his work-space, he slowly took a few steps toward the large window behind it and started to look down at the city below. Waiting for the timer to run out on the microwave, Nataki couldn't help noticing how restless the man seemed. _I mean, he's always very hyper, but he seems more __**anxious**__ than usual. _Dark blue eyes watching him in wonder, she began remembering Akana's words.

"_Having a God's power at your fingertips is commanding a sheer power unlike anything imaginable."_

Nataki winced, suddenly feeling a bit smothered by them. Just then, the microwave began beeping loudly, signaling that the timer had run out, and Nataki opened the door to retrieve the coffee.

"Damn." She cursed under her breath as the scalding hot ceramic made contact with the palm of her hand. Just as she was about to reach for something to help her grab onto it she felt Kaiba's hand pulling her backward. With a quick turn of her heel she was face-to-face with him, her uninjured hand still clenched into his own.

"Idiot." He spat while gesturing for her to move over to the sink while he retrieved the coffee himself.

Nataki's face flushed deeply, reinforcing the embarrassment she now felt. Nonetheless, she did as he advised and slightly turned the cold water faucet nozzle. The water began to trickle down onto her hand gently, and she twisted the nozzle a bit more until she had a steady stream cascading onto her tingling palm. Staring down at the sink, she tried not to let the urge to cry bubble up inside of her. It wasn't the coffee – truthfully, Nataki had burnt herself multiple times. A love of cooking and baking warrants its fair share of battle scars. It was everything else _inside_ her . . . set off by the burn.

"Let me see." His voice came as a surprise to her, but not nearly as much as his hand reaching for hers through the running water. Nataki could see a tiny shred of concern in the blue depths of his eyes and she felt incapable of looking away from him, despite the fact that his gaze had quickly shifted to her somewhat reddened palm. "It's not going to blister." He stated with a hint of relief, releasing her hand from his grasp. "You're fine."

"Oh." She managed to say, still somewhat perplexed by the entire scenario. "Thanks, Kaiba-san."

The CEO shook his head, clearly annoyed by the whole thing. "You seem rather unfocused today."

Nataki's cheeks were burning now, and she slowly turned off the faucet nozzle. "S-Sorry."

Kaiba sighed and set down his cup of coffee. "'Sorry' doesn't change the fact that you're less than helpful to me if you're distracted." Crossing his arms in front of his chest he continued, "So let's talk."

Nataki felt the blood leave her face as she took a piece of paper towel and started to pat her hand dry. "About . . . what?" She asked hesitantly.

"About the weather." He shot back sarcastically, throwing in an eye roll for added measure. "What do you _think_ I mean? What happened at the _museum_, obviously."

Swallowing the lump in her throat Nataki felt a sense of panic rise up inside her. "What is there to talk about?" She was unsure of how long she could keep him at bay with her roundabout questioning.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, immediately picking up on her strategy. "Are you serious?" Taking a few steps toward her he proceeded to add, "Gee, I don't know, there's so much to choose from . . ." His tone was less than kind now, and Nataki was beginning to feel trapped.

"Perhaps we could start with the fact that you _know_ about how Yugi and _I_ are connected to that mural . . ."

A few steps closer.

"Or the fact that your 'friend' seems to know _a lot_ more than she's letting on about what any of that has to do with the two of _you_ . . . "

Closer.

"Or maybe," A pause, as he closed the distance between them, staring down at her with an intensity unbridled. "Why you _ran_ _away_ when Yugi held up the three Egyptian God cards?"

Nataki's eyes widened as she looked up at him, terror consuming her from her head to her toes.

"Well?" He asked, his tone calm despite his now aggressive demeanor. "Care to _expand_ on any of that?"

Feeling cornered, but remembering Akana's words carefully about not discussing anything that happened at the museum with him, Nataki shot back, "Well, why didn't _you_ say anything about the mural?"

Raising an eyebrow, Kaiba shot her an incredulous look."What?"

Planting her feet firmly onto the ground, refusing to relent her effort to push-back she continued, "If you already _knew_ about your connection to the mural, why did you keep that a secret from _me_?"

"Because I didn't think it concerned _you_," He almost snarled. "But apparently I was wrong."

Feeling a shudder run through her, Nataki steadied herself from the impact of his words, shooting out at her as if from a shotgun – poignant and precise. "Kaiba-san . . ." Stalling, that was all she had, but for her long? "I don't . . ."

Kaiba could sense it and would have none of it, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders and looking down at her with impatience. "Enough of this, Kuzana." He hissed.

_Please, let go of me . . . _Her eyes pleaded, the words unescaping from between her lips.

"Tell me." His grip tightening on her shoulders a bit.

_You're **hurting** me, Kaiba-san. _

"Now."

"Because it hurt!" She exclaimed. "When the 'other Yugi' held up the God Cards I felt _pain_, okay?"

Eyes narrowing a bit, trying to make sense of what she said Kaiba continued, "And?"

"So I ran away . . . " She breathed. "Until I didn't feel it anymore."

Isis's words reverberated clearly in his mind.

"_The reawakened pulses of the Egyptian Gods."_

"I see." He said finally, loosening his grip as he processed her words carefully.

_So those monsters must be __**inside**__ them or something._

"What else?" He continued.

_She must know more._

"I . . ." Nataki wanted to break free of his grasp and looked at him desperately. "Kaiba-san . . . please."

_She **does** know._

"I need answers, Kuzana." His voice serious, his expression grave. "_Now_."

_And you're **going** to tell me._

As if on cue, the phone on the CEO's desk began to ring. His eyes darted over in the direction of his desk, and he exhaled deeply while releasing Nataki from his hold. Suddenly feeling the unrelenting need to escape, Nataki hurried over to her desk, retrieved her bento, and left the office, not giving any indication of where she was going, or when she would be back. Although Kaiba knew better than to assume she would go far.

Alone in the office, Kaiba was cursing under his breath as he picked up the phone from the receiver. "_What_?" He asked, irritation running rampant through him at this point.

"Kaiba-kun?" Yugi's voice seemed concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He grimaced, resting his head in his free hand. "You picked a _perfect_ time to call." His sarcasm was deep and biting.

"What do you mean?" He inquired. Then, as if sensing what had transpired, Yugi began anew. "You _swore_ you wouldn't try to initiate discussing what happened at the museum without the pharaoh present." A pause. "Especially with only Nataki-chan present, seeing how she reacted before . . ."

Kaiba said nothing.

"Kaiba-kun."

"Tch, fine." He spat. "But we need to make heads or tails of what Isis said _now_."

"I thought you had your fill of the occult for a while?" Yugi asked only half joking.

With a dismissive "Hmph." the CEO cleared his throat. "It's not like I have a choice, now, do I?" Sitting down in his chair he continued, "We _need_ them to tell us what they know. I want to see if Isis's words truly hold any merit, and who knows how much _more_ there is to this 'point of intersection' she only barely touched upon?"

"I'm not disagreeing with that," Yugi said thoughtfully. "But we need to go about this in a _delicate_ manner, something you're not so good at."

"Being 'delicate' with them isn't going to yield us the information we need _now_." He retorted somewhat defensively.

"Kaiba-kun . . ."

"Fine. But if _you_ don't come up with a plan soon, I _will_." And with that, Kaiba hung up.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello! As you can see tensions are mounting as the time for the 'point of intersection' to come full circle amongst Yugi, Kaiba, Nataki, and Akana draws near! And now a few other things worth noting:

~I write from a 3rd person narrative POV, but my narration generally revolves around Nataki's experiences (e.g., I only narrate what's happening as it pertains to Nataki) and rarely break this pattern. BUT in the next chapter I will be employing a shift in the focus of the narration (it will still be the regular 3rd person narrative POV). I hope this makes sense (it probably will when you see it). So when I shift my narrator focus onto Kaiba, I will signify it with a break in the text followed by "**~Kaiba~**"

~I am considering changing the rating of this fic from a T to a M due to future incidents of cussing and plot-related violence (not much worse than what we saw in the original uncut version of the anime, by any means).

~Also, I post general updates about my plans, progress with writing, etc. onto my profile so please be sure to check it out from time to time! I generally update my profile once, sometimes twice a month. :) And as I mentioned on my profile, I am very eager to update this fic as often as possible, which is why there may be times where I update a few times a week! :D So that's something that you'll hopefully be excited about and have to look forward to!

As always, I am looking forward to hearing what you're thinking, so please take a moment to leave a review ;)

Thanks and enjoy~


	32. Repercussions

Running down the stairs probably wasn't the smartest decision she could have made, but she just needed to get out of there, and fast. _Why, Kaiba-san? _The pressure from his hands squeezing her shoulders still lingered. _Why?_ Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she continued down the stairs until all of the sudden . . . she tripped.

With a quick tumble, Nataki managed to get her bearings and land on her bottom, but her bento hadn't been so lucky. The container had landed far from her, and it looked like it had opened upon impact. _Oh no._

Staggering to her feet, she proceeded over toward the broken bento box. _Crap._

Kneeling down, trying to pick up the crumbs and random pieces of food that had escaped and landed on the floor around her, Nataki could barely choke back the sob deep inside her.

_That mural is tearing __**everything**__ in my life apart._

Slowly standing up, her broken bento box in her hands, Nataki proceeded to exit the stairwell, not paying much notice to the floor level. Emerging into a somewhat empty hallway, she found a vacant office and situated herself in there. Plopping down into a chair and setting her broken bento box on the table, Nataki's desire to eat was gone. She felt sick inside, absolutely sick.

Sitting in silence for a few minutes, hoping to regain her composure, Nataki considered the possibility of leaving Kaiba Corporation for the day. _As if I could honestly just __**leave**__._ Still, as she reclined a bit in the chair, she played out the possibility of such a scenario in her mind.

She would get up, walk out of the room she was currently in, descend the stairs until she reached the ground floor, sign out, and just keep walking until Kaiba Corp. and its CEO were far behind her. It seemed simple enough, and yet . . .

Nataki knew she would never be able to do that. _And besides, my purse is in the office. With_ a deep breath, she knew what she had to do. Salvaging whatever she could from her bento, she stuffed it into her mouth. Throwing out the broken bento box (she would buy a new one on the way home), Nataki left the room and headed up the stairs, but at an unhurried pace. She imagined she still had some time left from her lunch, and worse case scenario she would stay a few extra minutes past her shift to make up the time. When she finally reached the twelfth floor, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling open the door to his office.

Kaiba's eyes immediately shot over in her direction, and watched her as she neared his desk. Clasping her hands in front of her body and standing as tall as she could Nataki said, "I'm sorry I ran off."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "You do that a lot."

"To be fair," Nataki cleared her throat. "Your change in demeanor was a bit uncalled for, Kaiba-san." _And __**please**__ never hurt me like that again. _

Kaiba let out a deep breath. "You're right." Clasping his hands together he added, "As frustrating as it is to know you're . . . _withholding_ crucial information from me," His tongue smacking the words for emphasis. "I should not have conducted myself in such a manner, and for that, I'm sorry."

"I'm not-"

Raising an eyebrow in challenge, Kaiba shot back. "You're not . . . what?" A pause. "Withholding information from me?"

Nataki swallowed hard.

_He's not going to let this go._

"I mean . . ."

_I'm not the one you should be asking all of these questions._

"Kuzana . . ." His tongue now attacking her name as he said it.

Tremors started to erupt inside her as she anticipated another episode of anger from him, and she closed her eyes, flinching slightly away from him.

_She's afraid._

". . . where's your lunch?"

She blinked. "My . . . oh." Shaking her head warily she continued. "I dropped it . . ."

_Running away from **you**._

"And it broke."

_And with it . . ._

The look he gave her seemed surprised and a bit apologetic. "I'm sorry." A pause. "So were you . . . actually able to _eat_ any of your lunch?"

"Yes." She said softly, not sure what to make of anything happening at the moment.

"Okay." He breathed. "How's your hand?"

_My hand? _In the midst of everything happening, Nataki had almost forgotten that she had burned her palm. Looking down at it, she noticed it was a dull red now.

"Oh, it's fine." She said quickly while recoiling her hand away from the hand reaching for it across the desk, and shielding it inside the pocket of her blazer.

He seemed a bit surprised by her action, but didn't press the matter. "Good."

Remembering Yugi's words on the phone, Kaiba narrowed his eyes.

"_You need to handle this in a **delicate** manner." _

Cobalt eyes darkened at the thought. _It's too late for that **now**._

Nataki's eyes lingered on him a moment more before she returned to her desk. Swirling inside those midnight blue orbs was something he hadn't expected to see . . . _fear_.

_She's afraid of **me**._

Her hands seemed timid as she reached for the to-do list he had drafted for her, and all at once Kaiba realized his mistake.

_Damn it._

* * *

**~Kaiba~**

Panic began to spread through him at the realization of what he had done, and the repercussions it would have on his progress figuring out if _what_ Isis had told them was true, and how much _more_ to this story there was that she hadn't been able to tell them.

_She won't tell me anything **now**._

"Kuzana."

He watched her carefully as she looked up from her work. "Yes?"

_As much as I hate to admit it, **he'll** know what to do better than** I **will._

"Go check on Mokuba." He said suddenly. "See if he needs help with his Capsule Monsters project."

It seemed like a wave of relief washed over her face upon hearing his request. "Sure." Kaiba watched as she retrieved her cell phone from her purse and placed it inside the pocket of her blazer. "Just let me know when you'd like me to come back."

"I will." His voice sounded strained.

Once she had closed the door behind her, he dialed Yugi's number into his cell phone. After the first ring the boy picked up.

"Kaiba-kun?" The King of Games seemed surprised to be hearing from him so soon.

"I fucked up." The CEO said point blank, the words smacking him as they left his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Yugi gasped.

Kaiba brushed a few of his russet strands away from his eyes and stood up from his seat. "She wasn't telling me anything, and I got frustrated with her, and now . . ." Remembering how she had looked at him, almost terrified, he added, "And now . . . she's _afraid_ of me."

"Oh Kaiba-kun . . ." Yugi said, his voice doing little to mask the disappointment and distress he felt at the situation. "I warned you not to-"

_I know, and I didn't listen._

"A little less 'I told you so,' and a lot more 'This is how to fix it.'" Kaiba spat. "The sooner I can make things how they were before – you know, her _not_ being terrified of me, the better."

"You might not be able to." Yugi stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "You'll have to get Nataki-chan to be comfortable around you again, and I'm not sure if you can now."

"Why the hell _not_?!" He growled into the phone.

"Because it takes a while to develop trust, and only a short time to break it – you know that." Yugi said sadly. "But seeing how it's Nataki-chan, you may have a chance."

_Seeing how it's **her**?_

"What do you mean by _that_?" The CEO inquired.

"I _mean_, Nataki-chan is very easygoing and doesn't tend to harbor bad feelings. Just show her that you're sorry, and that she can be comfortable around you again." Yugi replied tiredly. "_How_ you do that is up to you."

"Come now, Yugi." Kaiba sneered. "You know that if I can't get her back, we're both up a creek without a paddle."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"_You_ did this, Kaiba-kun. So you're the only one who can fix it." Yugi said finally. "And I know that you will."

It was Yugi who hung up first this time, leaving Kaiba to wonder how he should go about fixing the whole thing. And fast.

* * *

~**Nataki**~

Making her way down the stairs to the tenth floor, Nataki could breath a bit easier. It would be less suffocating to be away from the office, and honestly she didn't know which way was up from down anymore. Kaiba's actions had caught her _completely_ off guard, and she didn't know how to feel about him at this point. _He really scared me. _She heard her mind echo while walking toward the room where Mokuba was working. _But I really don't __**want**__ to be afraid of him._ The memory of him gently checking her hand earlier lingering in her thoughts.

_I want things to be the way they were **before**._

Opening the door, she noticed the younger Kaiba hard at work tinkering away on his project. Upon hearing her enter, Mokuba's eyes lit up.

"Oh, hi Kuzana-san!" He greeted. "Seto sent you down here?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Oh, weird. He didn't tell me you were coming . . ." This curiosity was soon replaced with a childlike excitement to show her what he had accomplished. "Well anyway, since you're here, take a look!"

Laying out the board in front of her and the capsule pieces, he began to explain. "So basically, before I get into any of the cool features I'm planning on adding to the game, I need to explain how the original game works." Crossing his arms in front of his chest he started, "Each player has five Capsule Monsters, and each monster has a different level. Levels for monsters range from one to five – one being the weakest, and five being the strongest. Monsters are always chosen at random." Showing her the different Capsule Monsters in his hands, he continued "The player who destroys all his or her opponent's monsters wins."

"I see." Nataki said while looking at the Capsule Monsters, finding the Happy Lover piece particularly likable.

"Like chess, each player places his or her monsters in a respective line on the corresponding side of the board, which is divided into many squares. Monsters can move according to their level, so a level one monster can move one space, whereas a level two monster can move two spaces, and so on."

"So how do players destroy each others' monsters?" Nataki asked.

"Simply put, when a monster of a higher level moves onto the same square as a lower level monster, it destroys it. And some monsters have abilities that help them move across the board more quickly."

"Sort of like how different chess pieces can move differently?" She queried.

Mokuba nodded. "Exactly." Then, pointing to the four corners of the game board continued, "And these are the evolution squares. If you move a monster to an evolution square on your _opponent's_ side of the board, it evolves into a more powerful, higher level monster."

"Wow." Nataki breathed. "It seems like a very strategic game!"

"Oh, it is." Mokuba agreed. "And if I'm able to make my dream a reality, then this will be a virtual reality game where the player _literally_ transports him or herself _into_ the board and has to find Capsule Monsters in the wilderness!" Making a fist and slamming it down onto the palm of his other hand, he concluded with "The ultimate strategy-based survival game."

"That's incredible, Mokuba-san!" Nataki exclaimed. Then, remembering the conversation he had with his brother earlier that morning asked, "What can I do to help you finish the prototype?"

"Well, for starters . . . you could try on these virtual reality goggles for me. It'll simulate what it will look like inside the game."

Hesitantly, Nataki took the goggles and placed them on her head. "Okay, now what?"

"I'm going to turn them on . . ." Mokuba said. "At any point you can take them off if you get scared – I mean, the effects _are_ pretty realistic."

Nataki let a nervous laugh escape her. _Oh God, what have I agreed to?_

Just then she could feel her cell phone vibrating from inside her blazer. "Hold on a sec, Mokuba-san."

"Is it Seto?" He inquired.

Flipping open her phone, she noticed that she had received a text message from Kaiba, informing her to return to his office. "Yes." A feeling of guilt filled her. "But I can still do this if you want."

"Nah, wouldn't want you to get in trouble." He sighed. "But next time, for sure!"

Nataki nodded. "Of course, Mokuba-san." Handing the goggles back to him as she made her way toward the door she added, "I'm looking forward to it."

Vivid violet eyes watched her go, leaving a shred of disappointment in its wake. "Yeah, me too." He mumbled softly while resuming his work in silence.

* * *

When Nataki made it up to the office she was surprised to see Kaiba sitting on the corner of _her_ desk, arms crossed, eyes focused on her. "How is his project coming along?"

She smiled faintly. "It's coming along very well, I think." A pause. "Mokuba-san was about to let me try on virtual reality goggles to simulate the game play when you texted me."

"Is that so?" He inquired. "Well, I'll make sure you are able to spend some more time helping him. He seems very eager to finish it."

"I'm sure he would really appreciate that." She said in response.

"Right." The CEO pushed himself off her desk and approached her cautiously. "Well, as I mentioned earlier, I'm sorry for becoming so . . . upset with you. I'm sure that played a part in you dropping your bento box when you left the office." Tucking his hands into the pockets of his white dress pants he continued, "I would be happy to buy you another one."

Nataki froze in her spot. _Wait, what? _"That's . . . _really_ kind of you to offer Kaiba-san, but I don't mind stopping by a pharmacy or grocery store on my way home."

She could tell from the lackluster look on his face that he seemed unconvinced. "I insist." He stated flatly, leaving no room for argument as he walked back to his desk.

"Kaiba-san . . ."

_You've flipped a switch or something._

Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned his body around so that he could face her.

"I'm not . . . upset with you or anything." She tried, finding it almost impossible to get a grip on the words she wanted to say. "But I just can't . . . do _this_."

"Do _what_?" He asked.

"I mean, I don't want it to be like this between us." Looking down at her feet she added softly, "A yo-yo relationship."

Raising an eyebrow in earnest curiosity, Kaiba inquired "A . . . yo-yo _what_?"

"A yo-yo relationship." _I hope I used that right?_ "Basically when your feelings yo-yo back and forth in a matter of minutes . . . it's hard." She stated, her voice not sounding very confident despite her best efforts.

The CEO blinked, almost stupefied by her word choice. "My feelings do not 'yo-yo,' Kuzana." Closing the distance between the two of them, Kaiba placed a hand under her chin and tilted it upward so Nataki could meet his gaze. "I'm sorry I became annoyed by your . . . lack of compliance, but that doesn't mean my feelings for _you_ have yo-yo'ed, or whatever the hell you called it." Shaking his head he continued, "You're a good person, Kuzana." Forcing a small smile he added, "And a hard-worker. I wouldn't have offered _you_ a job at _my_ company if I thought otherwise."

Nataki managed to return the smile. "Thank you."

Sighing heavily, Kaiba shook his head. "Look, I _am_ sorry for lashing out at you, and I _want_ to make it up to you."

_And of course, I can't have you being **afraid** of me if I'm ever going to get answers. _

"Therefore, I _am_ going to buy you a new bento box, so deal with it." He stated flatly, leaving no room argument.

"Okay. . ." _If he's **that** hell bent on making it up to me, he must feel really bad about how he acted._

"So it's settled – I'll have a new bento box for you tomorrow." A pause. "And don't bring lunch with you."

Nataki blinked. "Why . . . ?"

"You'll see." The CEO said with a quick smirk before walking back to his desk, leaving Nataki to speculate the sincerity of his intentions, and the nature of her feelings for him while struggling to resume her own stack of unsorted paperwork waiting on top of her desk.

* * *

**A/N: **Hi all! I hope you found this chapter meaningful in propelling us closer toward the plot :)

Mokuba really needs some more love ;u;

. . . and then there's his brother (gotta love Kaiba being a jerk-wad) :P


	33. Making Amends

Nataki didn't know what to expect when she stepped into the CEO's office the next morning. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute as the events of the previous day replayed with painful precision – his gentle hands gilding down the length of her hand in concern, and then vibrant cobalt eyes glaring at her in vexation while his hands grasped her shoulders roughly.

"I want to believe that he's genuinely sorry." She said aloud to no one in particular while her legs continued walking toward the towering building. "I _really_ do . . ."

Upon reaching Kaiba Corporation, she proceeded to sign in at the front desk before boarding the elevator. Once inside, she was about to press the button for the twelfth floor when she heard Mokuba's voice.

"Hold up!" He exclaimed while jogging past a group of employees toward her.

Reacting quickly, Nataki pushed the button to open the doors. The young Kaiba slowly came to a slow trot as he stepped inside. Catching his breath he shot her an appreciative smile.

"Hey, what do you know? What goes around comes around!" He joked lightheartedly, referring to just yesterday when _he_ had held the door for _her_. "Thanks, Kuzana-san."

With that, Mokuba had managed to steal a quick chuckle from her. "You're welcome, Mokuba-san." Then, she watched him as he pressed the button for the tenth floor. "Ah, you won't be coming with me today?"

A sudden look of disappointment claimed his face momentarily and he shook his head. "No, unfortunately. I've really gotta buckle down if I'm going to make any major headway with my Capsule Monsters project, so I've decided to spend as much time on it as possible." Kicking at the floor of the elevator with his sneaker he added, "So hopefully I'll have something to show for myself by the end of this year."

The weight of his words were tangible, and without thinking Nataki placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Mokuba's violet eyes gazed up at her in surprise.

"I'm _sure_ you will." She said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Just keep doing your best, and I'll see what I can do to help you."

Mokuba blinked as if taken aback by her words. Then, his lips formed a smile in gratitude. "Thanks, Kuzana-san." A pause. "That means a lot to me." _More than you know._

The remainder of their time in the elevator was quiet, but not awkward. Instead, a content silence filled the space between them until they arrived at the tenth floor.

"Well, this is my stop." He stated coolly, hesitating momentarily. "Thanks again . . . Nataki-san."

Before she could reply Mokuba had dashed off the elevator and down the hallway, quickly disappearing into the room he usually worked in. "You're welcome . . ." She finally managed to force out, but by that point the doors had already shut. _He called me by my first name . . ._

Once she had arrived at the twelfth floor, Nataki exited the elevator. Her legs carried her forward, though she felt less than steady as she approached the door to Kaiba's office. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened and revealed him standing there.

Somewhat surprised cobalt looked down at her. "Good morning, Kuzana."

The words were casual, as was the tone in which they were spoken, but Nataki's response still came out sounding a bit stilted. "Good morning, Kaiba-san."

"Sorry if I startled you." He added while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I forgot to mention yesterday that I have a meeting this morning with a . . . _business_ _partner_." His face contorting into disgust slightly as he said it. "I know it's a bit last minute, but would you mind sitting in on my meeting to take notes?"

"Of course not." Nataki managed in response. "I'll just grab my things real quick."

Hurrying over to her desk, she jockeyed around a few piles of paperwork and folders before she retrieved a spiral-bound notebook and a couple pens. Turning around, she noticed that he was standing with one hand pressed against the door, holding it open for her, his fingers somewhat strumming against the solid wood. The other hand rested in the pocket of his flawlessly white dress pants. Sensing his impatience, she hustled over to where he was standing and followed behind him down the hallway in the direction of the elevator.

After pressing the button to send it up he stated, "You didn't bring a lunch."

Nataki blinked. "You . . . told me not to." Her statement sounding more like a question.

"I did." He nodded. "Just wasn't sure if you'd _actually_ comply with my request."

It was impossible for her _not_ to read into what he said. Partly because of _how_ he said it, but mostly because of the timing. _Probably because I didn't comply yesterday . . ._ Nataki found herself biting her bottom lip, unable to offer much of a response.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you listened to me." He continued. "And I'm sure you'll feel the same way."

The doors opened, and as Kaiba stepped inside Nataki wondered what he meant by that. Deciding it better not to think about it _too_ much – lunch wouldn't be for another three and a half hours, anyway– she shook the thought from her mind and simply followed after him into the elevator. Her dark blue eyes watched him press the button for the fifteenth floor.

"This meeting is going to be slightly different than those you've previously attended." He stated flatly. "It's a video call."

"Okay." Nataki said softly, not quite sure if he was looking for her to say anything more about the matter.

Once they reached the correct floor, the doors opened and Kaiba stepped out slowly, no longer seeming quite as anxious to get where he needed to go. While Nataki began to consider the possible reasons for his lackluster attitude toward whoever he was planning to speak with, the CEO unlocked the door to an empty conference room, flicked the lights on, and disappeared inside.

Following after him, Nataki pushed the door open. The room was standard as far as conference rooms go – a long table, multiple chairs, water cooler in the corner. However, there was also a laptop at the far end of the table which seemed to be connected to a large projection screen of sorts. She watched in silence as Kaiba proceeded over toward the laptop, turned it on, logged in, and established a connection between it and the large screen, which soon reflected what was displayed on the screen of the laptop – a simple blue background with the company's "KC" insignia. Turning to face her, he sighed.

"You can sit over _there_." Kaiba said while gesturing to a seat a few down from his own at the end of the table. "That way you won't be _too_ much of a distraction."

"I promise I won't distract you." She tried, a bit hurt by his words, although she didn't show it.

The CEO raised an eyebrow. "I know."

She blinked. _Then what do you mean?_

Before he could elaborate further, the laptop made a noise signaling that a call was trying to be put through. Mumbling something incoherent, Kaiba accepted it, and within seconds, a man with shoulder length white, almost silverish colored hair appeared on the projection screen. His lips curved upward into a smile upon noticing the CEO.

"Well, good morning Kaiba-boy~" The man greeted in a singsong voice that caught Nataki off-guard.

_'Kaiba-boy?'_

"Pegasus." Was all Kaiba offered in response, flinching slightly in disgust upon hearing the man on the screen address him in such a manner.

"It's been so long since we last spoke!" He continued.

"And why do you think that is?" She could hear Kaiba mumble in response.

"What have you been up to?" Pegasus asked. "Still speculating a strategy to reclaim the title of 'Duel King?'"

Nataki was feeling extremely confused by the playful banter from the man on the screen, which seemed to be irritating Kaiba. A lot.

After a dismissive "Hmph." the CEO began, "I didn't set aside time this morning to engage in small talk with you."

"Oh, because time _is_ money, isn't it?" Pegasus jeered. "Neither of which you currently hold over _my_ head, by any means."

"Let's just cut to the chase," Kaiba spat in response. "What did you want to speak with me about?"

"Oh Kaiba-boy, you're _so_ antisocial." His voice chided as he flicked a few strands of his white hair behind his shoulder. "You really _should_ try to make some friends." Then, clearing his throat as if signaling the end of his chit chat, Pegasus started again. "But if you must know, I have my reasons."

"Which are . . . ?" Kaiba inquired while strumming his fingers against the table.

"Well, for starters, I heard that Yugi-boy now possesses the three Egyptian God Cards." His mahogany brown eyes twinkling a bit. "Is that true?"

Nataki noticed that Kaiba seemed to grimace in response.

"Yes."

"Excellent." Pegasus exclaimed. "I'm so relieved to hear that those cards are in much safer hands now."

_**Now**? Where were they **before**? _Nataki wondered suddenly.

"Well then, the next order of business up for discussion is about our contract." Clasping his hands together on his lap he continued, "Your new Virtual Reality Duel Disk System has really caught fire throughout most of Asia. I'm wondering how you plan to mainstream your technology internationally?" Smirking he added, "As I'm sure you're aware, Americans are eating up Duel Monsters like candy, and are very eager to play the game using your high tech goodies."

Kaiba nodded knowingly, disregarding Pegasus's insulting reference to his technology. "My Battle City Tournament was only a trial distribution." Tugging briefly at his azure satin tie he added, "Seeing how well it's caught on, I've put in for my manufacturers to have a shipment of about one hundred thousand duel disks sent overseas to the West, including North America."

"Wonderful. That will definitely keep the momentum for Duel Monsters sales going up." Pegasus stated, clearly pleased by the news. "Now, will _I_ be receiving one of these new and improved 'doodads' of yours?"

"Obviously." Kaiba snorted. "And don't refer to the fruits of my labor as 'doodads.'"

"Oh, Kaiba-boy don't be so sour." He teased. "You know I'm technologically impaired."

"Among other things." He mumbled under his breath before returning to the topic at hand. "Anything else?"

Having fought off the sensation to sneeze up until this point – recording a few minor details from the somewhat odd exchange transpiring in front of her without so much as an utterance – Nataki proceeded to stand up and retrieve a tissue. She knew she couldn't hold it back much longer and wanted to blow her nose in hopes of eliminating the sneeze rising up inside her, but missed the mark by a few seconds. A somewhat high pitched sound emerged from her that stopped Pegasus in his tracks.

"What was _that_?" Pegasus asked suddenly, his brown eyes shocked by the sound.

Nataki slowly turned to look at Kaiba, whose eyes were glaring over in her direction. She shot him an apologetic look before blowing her nose gently.

"An employee of mine." He stated flatly. "She's taking notes for me."

"_She_?" The amusement in his voice was evident, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Pegasus, hoping he would get the hint to just drop it. Unfortunately for him, the man had a one track mind. "Why, I don't recall you _ever_ having a personal secretary, let alone one to sit in during your meetings."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "She's somewhat of a new hire."

Nataki swallowed nervously, realizing now what he had meant before about her being a distraction. _Not to __**him**__,__ but to the man he's speaking to._

"Dear _me_, Kaiba-boy. I must meet the remarkable young lady who would agree to undertake the perilous task of working directly for you."

Turning his head toward her, the CEO sighed and gestured for Nataki to introduce herself. Shakily, she proceeded over toward the spot where Kaiba was standing, which she realized was directly in-line with the web camera on the laptop.

"Hello, Pegasus-san." She greeted somewhat awkwardly, throwing in a wave as she did so. "I'm Kuzana, Nataki. Nice to meet you."

"Kuzana-san, hmm?" He began. "Why, the pleasure is all mine, dear."

Nataki let a nervous laughter escape her. She could feel Kaiba's eyes burning holes through her. Or maybe at Pegasus?

"I _do_ hope Kaiba-boy isn't too difficult for you, dear." He continued. "He can be quite a moody fellow."

_Don't I know it. _Her mind practically shouted, although she merely shook her head. "I've . . . really enjoyed working for him."

"Have you, now?" Pegasus mused. "Most intriguing."

"Ahem." Kaiba started, clearing his throat purposefully. "Let's wrap this up, Pegasus. Unlike you, my day doesn't involve downing glasses of Merlot and rotting my brain watching cartoons."

_Cartoons? _Nataki glanced over briefly at the man on the screen, who looked to be maybe a bit older than Kaiba, but clearly more easygoing in terms of his disposition. And childlike.

"Tsk, tsk." Pegasus sighed. "A man who can't pour himself a glass of wine and appreciate the simple humor of animated cartoons is a man who is missing out on the simplest of joys in life, Kaiba-boy."

"Agree to disagree." He replied flatly.

Shaking his head he began anew. "Well, that was mostly everything. Lastly, I just wanted to mention that I will be releasing a new batch of cards this October and wanted you to be the first to know."

"Thanks." Kaiba replied tiredly.

"Take care, Kaiba-boy." A pause. "And you too, Kuzana-san." He added with a wink before ending the call and disappearing from the projector screen.

Nataki took a deep breath and waited for Kaiba to start going off about how he told her not to _do_ anything that might create a distraction during the meeting. _To be fair though, I __**was**__ trying to be quiet, but you can't control a sneeze. _Collecting her things, she waited for him to finish turning off the projection screen and laptop. When he returned, he cast a quick glance in her direction, but didn't say anything. Then he began to walk toward the door and out into the hallway. Nataki followed behind him quietly, not daring to say anything.

The air was thick between them in the elevator, and Nataki shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wishing there were other people in the elevator with them to possibly diffuse tension. They stood merely inches apart, but the silence between them made her wish it was miles.

_He's upset with me. _

Clutching the notebook to her chest even more she let a sad sigh escape her.

_Again._

After what seemed like a century, the elevator reached the twelfth floor and Kaiba stepped off. He stopped when he reached the door to the office, unlocking it before entering. He held the door open for Nataki, who had left a bit of space between the two of them. As she settled back into her work space, she decided that she would try to be an icebreaker.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your meeting." The words were not forced, but rather forthright.

Kaiba seated himself at his desk and logged back into his computer. Without looking up from the screen he acknowledged her apology. "It's fine." The sound of his fingers on the keyboard soon filled the air between them, and Nataki started her morning work, hoping for the best, but not getting her hopes up too high.

* * *

When lunchtime finally arrived Nataki didn't know how to proceed. Truth be told, she was _very_ hungry, but she didn't want to voice this. Kaiba had told her not to bring anything, after all, so she assumed he would at least let her leave to go grab some lunch from the deli across the street or something after giving her a new bento box. But Nataki could still feel his irritation with her from the morning – like a stinging sensation that lingered long after the stinger was pulled out. So she waited five minutes . . . ten minutes . . . busying herself by organizing her work space a bit. It had become rather cluttered as of late, with piles of paperwork threatening to become unstable and collapse into each other.

"Kuzana."

Looking up from what must have looked like a mess in the making, Nataki bit her bottom lip. _Crap._

"Yes, Kaiba-san?"

Without saying anything he outstretched his hands toward her, a delicate pink colored bento box secured in his grasp. It was a tad bigger than the one that had broken, and was decorated with a tiny cherry blossom pattern across the top.

"I couldn't find a bento box that was purple like your old one , but I figured you'd probably like this one well enough." He stated flatly. "I mean, it's definitely _girly_ enough, and you seem to like things that are girly looking."

"Oh wow, Kaiba-san." She said finally, previously speechless as she looked at the bento box that was _definitely_ something she would have picked out for herself. "It's just perfect!"

A smirk tugged at his lips as she reached out and slowly took the container from him. She gasped lightly upon feeling that it was heavier than it should have been.

_Why . . .?_

Carefully she began to open the container only to find a complete lunch had been prepared for her and put inside. Her dark blue eyes stared in awe as she looked at the variety of sashimi and sushi and generous helping of white rice.

"This looks delicious!" She exclaimed, her face beaming. Then, suddenly feeling embarrassed by her sudden excitement she added, "Oh, but Kaiba-san you shouldn't have . . ."

"Pssh, do you honestly think _I_ made that?" He scoffed. "I had one of my personal chefs prepare it for you this morning. Every time you came into the classroom to see Yugi and the dweeb patrol, you almost always brought sashimi or sushi for lunch." Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly he continued, "I figured it was a safe guess."

_He noticed what I ate for lunch? _

Truth be told, Kaiba hadn't been in school all that often. But apparently, the few times he had opted to attend his classes he had noticed Nataki's penchant for traditional Japanese cuisine. Without even speaking to her regularly, Kaiba had picked up on seemingly unimportant details about her.

"Thank you." An appreciative smile adorning her face as she looked up at him. "So much."

Kaiba merely nodded and proceeded to return to his desk. While she wasn't sure whether or not to push her luck, Nataki was nearing cloud-nine and decided to give it a whirl.

"Would you like to eat lunch with me?"

The words were innocent enough, but they caused Kaiba to stop dead in his tracks. Turning on his heel, he shot her a curious glance.

"I mean, there's _so_ much here . . ." She tried. "I won't be able to eat all of it."

Letting a dismissive "Hmph." escape him, Kaiba shook his head. "Then save whatever you can't eat now for later."

"I could, but . . ."

Turning so that his entire body was facing her, he continued, "But what?"

"It's much better fresh." Nataki added. "And besides . . ." Standing up from her seat, she proceeded to carry her bento box with her as she closed the distance between them. "We work in the same office space, but have never had lunch together before."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "That's because I don't take lunch."

Realizing she was likely making a fool of herself at this point, Nataki figured she would make one last attempt toward reconciling what had occurred between them before giving up for the day. More than _anything_, Nataki wanted to feel comfortable working for him again, and imagined having lunch together as a sort of bridge that would help re-establish the common ground beneath them, however minimal it seemed.

"I know." A pause. "But I _really_ want things to be okay between us."

Kaiba's face remained somewhat stoic, so it was impossible for Nataki to know if her words had moved him in any way. But something about the way his eyes softened the slightest bit made her believe that they had. Either that, or she had imagined it – one's eyes can play tricks, after all.

"You made _your_ peace offering." She continued. "And this is _mine_."

Kaiba seemed to be considering the implications behind her gesture. _I shouldn't pass up an opportunity like this to make amends. _He thought, the urgency to get answers from her about what had happened at the museum still buzzing in the back of his mind. _**Especially**__ if it speeds things up._

"Alright." He said finally before starting to walk past her toward the entrance to his office. Nataki's eyes followed him, but she remained in her spot. Kaiba gestured for her to follow him.

"Where are we going?" Nataki wondered aloud while carrying her bento and walking after him.

"You'll see." Was all he offered as he walked down the hall and pushed the button for the elevator.

When they were inside, Nataki watched Kaiba select a button labeled with 'RF,' which she imagined was the roof. She had never been on the rooftop of the building before, but imagined it was a breathtaking view.

As the doors opened, she soon found that her expectations would be met. A childlike exuberance overtook her as she set down her bento box and dashed out of the elevator, proceeding over toward the railing of the building. She began to gaze out at the city in awe, completely speechless. A minute later Kaiba was standing beside her, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Kaiba Corporation is one of the tallest buildings in Domino City." He stated flatly. "There isn't much you _wouldn't_ be able to see from here."

"Wow . . ." Nataki breathed as she felt a gust of wind blow against her, sending some loose raven strands billowing out behind her. "You're right." Leaning forward the slightest bit she continued, "I can see the school from here! And the apartment complex!"

Kaiba watched her with a hint of amusement in his eyes as she continued pointing out every place she could find. But of course, Nataki was far too engrossed in her own version of 'I Spy' to notice. Clearing his throat suddenly, the CEO interjected "Yes, I thought you might find this setting more . . . agreeable." Brushing a few russet strands away from his eyes he continued, "Well, your lunch only goes until twelve-fifty so . . ."

Snapping out of her trance, Nataki suddenly scurried over toward her bento box, which she had set down near the elevator. Sitting herself near the center of the rooftop, she reached for the chopsticks that he had included in with her bento box. Kaiba said nothing as he watched her reach for a piece of sashimi and nonchalantly stuff it into her mouth. He smirked a bit when she let a contented sigh escape her.

"Oh, this is delicious!" She said happily. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

Graciously, she gestured for Kaiba to try some himself. With precision, he quickly reached inside her bento box and snatched a piece, only to toss it into his mouth seconds later.

"Well?" She inquired.

Kaiba nodded knowingly. "I would expect nothing less." Sitting down beside her, legs crossed he added, "I only hire the most skilled and competent people. My house chef Hinamori graduated from the CIA, and that was one of the assets that helped him in winning me over."

Nataki blinked. "The . . . CIA?"

"Culinary Institute of America." He stated flatly before plucking out a piece of sushi from her bento box and eating it. "It's one of the best universities if you want to take on a profession in the restaurant business."

"Ah, that's right." She replied with a smile, having noticed him taking her up on her offer to share the bento box as he picked up another piece of sushi. "I've always enjoyed cooking . . . maybe I'll consider studying how to be a gourmet chef after I graduate."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Nataki's face flushed slightly as she began to reconsider telling him that. "I mean, it's not like it's set in _stone_ or anything, but . . ."

Kaiba closed his eyes and let the wind blow his bangs back from his face. "Well, if that's what you want to do, you should do it." Cobalt eyes opened and flashed over in her direction. "I imagine you'd probably be good at it, seeing how the nerd herd always seemed eager to try whatever you brought into school, especially that mutt Jounouchi."

Smiling at the thought of her friends while ignoring his derogatory remark, she let a faint chuckle escape her. "Thanks Kaiba-san."

With a dismissive snort, Kaiba began anew. _It seems like this is working, but . . ._

"So, are we okay now?"

The question was blunt, and caught her by surprise. All at once, her deep blue eyes gazed over at him, and for a moment Kaiba felt somewhat captivated by them, unable to look away, though he would never make that known. A small smile claimed her face and she nodded.

"Yes, we're okay." The words came out without much effort, despite the memory of him firmly squeezing her shoulders emblazoned in her mind. Nataki willed her mind to relinquish that memory in favor of future, happier ones.

He returned the smile. "Good." Then, as if shifting gears he began anew. "And just to clarify, it wasn't _you_ I was upset with this morning."

Eating another sushi roll, Nataki shot him a curious look.

Massaging his temples he added, "It was Pegasus. He's difficult to deal with sometimes, and I just knew if he noticed you during the video call he would get distracted. The man's got the attention span of a five-year-old."

Nataki let a nervous laugh escape her. "He seemed . . . pleasant enough, though."

"I'm sure." Was all Kaiba offered in acknowledgment. "And now that he knows about _you_, I'll likely be hearing about it."

"Sorry." She apologized, a sheepish smile claiming her face.

"Don't be." He retorted. "He's always been a headache. Now he'll just be a bigger one."

Standing up from his spot on the rooftop next to her, Kaiba proceeded to brush off his dress pants. "Well, I suppose we should get back to work."

Nataki nodded before eating a few more pieces of sushi and sashimi along with a clump of rice. Standing up and following after him, her new bento box secured in her grasp, she could feel a sense of relief wash through her.

_I think . . . things will be fine now._

Suddenly remembering Haine's insistence on checking with Yugi and the others regarding the beach trip, she felt the compulsion to ask him. _I mean, I __**doubt**__ he'll go, but it never hurts to ask, right?_

"Kaiba-san . . ."

After pressing the button for the elevator, he turned toward her and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well, Haine-chan and I were thinking of going to the beach this weekend . . ." Fidgeting with her bento box she continued, "And, um, I'm asking around to see if anyone wants to come."

Anticipating her next move Kaiba beat her to it. "That's . . . kind of you to ask me, Kuzana." Tucking his hands into the pockets of his business suit he added, "But honestly, I have _no_ desire to go to the beach – it would be a _complete_ waste of my time."

Nataki bit her bottom lip. _I figured as much._

"But I'm sure you'll have a good time without me." He stated. "I imagine you've invited a lot of other people to come?"

Nataki nodded.

"The weather should be nice this weekend, and you'll likely beat the last minute rush." The doors to the elevator opened, and they both boarded. After pressing the button for their floor he added, "Have fun."

"Thank you." She replied, her eyes gazing up at him. "I will."

* * *

The remainder of the workday flew by, and soon enough it was time for Nataki to leave. While she tidied up her work space as best she could for the next day, Kaiba stood up from his chair and walked over toward her. Once he was a few inches away, he stopped.

"Kuzana."

She stopped rearranging the supplies on her desk and looked up at him.

"Don't misunderstand."

_Huh? _Her face did little to mask her confusion.

Sighing heavily the CEO continued, "Just because we're okay now, doesn't mean I'm going to let you off the hook." Tapping his foot impatiently he added, "I _still_ need questions answered."

Nataki swallowed the lump in her throat. She should have known better than to assume he would simply let it go._ And to be fair, I can't say I blame him. _Remembering how she had waited outside of Akana's apartment complex and insisted that she speak with her about what had happened at the museum, she recalled the feeling of wanting answers as well.

"I understand." A pause as she considered the implications of her next few words. "But the truth is, I don't know that much about the mural or anything."

Kaiba seemed a bit unconvinced, and she reluctantly continued, "But Akana-san seems to know about it."

"Akana?" He asked. "That blonde who was with you at the museum?"

"Yes." She replied, not quite sure how to take his reference to her.

"Hnn." Kaiba replied with a click of his tongue. "Interesting."

"So maybe it would be for the best if we all sit down and talk about it?" She tried with a hopeful expression on her face. "Like, all four us?"

"Fair enough." He acquiesced. "Since you're clearly the one she'll be most willing to talk to about whatever 'this' is . . ." Gesturing to empty space between the two of them. "I suggest _you_ bring up the idea of the four of us meeting to discuss 'this' with her."

"I will." He could tell she meant it and seemed satisfied."Well then, you're free to go." Kaiba proceeded back over to his desk. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kaiba-san." She offered, her voice soft as she stood up from her work space and neared the door to his office. "And thanks again . . . for everything." With a gentle hand, she opened the door and left, realizing that the wheels of fate had begun to turn, and like it or not, she ultimately had a role to play in it. She just hoped that Akana was right about helping her as much as possible, because even after only learning about the tip of the iceberg that was their destiny, Nataki had a feeling that she was part of something _much_ larger than herself.

* * *

**A/N**: Quite a long chapter (I told you they would start to get bigger ahhhh)! But I hope you found it was well-paced and fluid. There's a lot going on in this chapter between Nataki and Kaiba - a sort of unspoken coaster of emotions, if you will. This is something that will be increasingly evident throughout much of the story. And Mokuba starting to develop a friendship with Nataki.

AND PEGASUS BECAUSE THE OTHER CANON CHARACTERS NEED SOME LOVE TOO (even though they won't be the focus of this fanfic)

We also see that the main protagonists (Nataki, Akana, Yugi, and Kaiba) will be meeting up - it's inevitable, and will be happening soon. Once everyone is in the know, things will start spiraling~

. . . but before that we have the beach trip xD Yes, it IS going to be a chapter, but it's not solely filler - you'll see what I mean ;)

As always stay tuned, and I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)


	34. Delaying Destiny

The next day of work passed by swimmingly as Nataki had found herself busier than ever. Between agreeing to devote a hour an half to Mokuba's Capsule Monsters project in addition to her usual responsibilities, Nataki had little time to breathe. Fortunately for her, Kaiba's disposition had remained generally positive since the previous day – a pattern she was hopeful would become the norm for her in the office.

When it was finally time to leave, she offered a "Goodnight." to the CEO and proceeded down the elevator to sign out for the day. She was a bit taken aback when she heard Haine's voice as she emerged from the massive building.

"What's up, buttercup?" She chirped.

"Haine-chan!" Nataki exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I figured it would be nice to catch up with you in person for a change." She admitted flatly with a shrug. "So, how _are_ you doing?"

"Fine, thanks." Nataki said softly while beginning her walk home, her dark blue eyes watching to make sure Haine was following her. "How about you?"

"Eh, you know – finishing up that stupid homework our teachers gave us, working, the usual." A pause. "But there's a light at the end of the tunnel – our beach trip!"

"Yes!" Nataki clapped her hands together excitedly. Truth be told, it would be nice to have one last fun outing that resembled normalcy, despite the fact that some weird destiny was likely about to knock on her door and turn her world upside down as soon as she opened it. More than anything, Nataki just hoped she would have _some_ time before she needed to answer the call. _Don't think about that __**now**__._ She reminded herself. _Enjoy the simpler things while you still can._

"So, how many takers do we have for this weekend?" Haine asked while nudging Nataki playfully in the side, causing her to laugh a bit. "Aya said she's going to be away with her folks this weekend, so as far as I know it's going to be you, me, Minako, and Yumi." A pause. "Plus whoever else you found out can come."

Nataki nodded while looking up at the streetlights, which had just recently turned on. "Akana-san,Yugi-kun, Anzu-chan, Jounouchi-kun, and Honda-kun all told me they were free, and that they're looking forward to coming with us." She then began tightening the ribbons securing her pigtails, which were bouncing up and down slightly as she walked.

"Hmm, no Kaibutt?" Haine jeered.

Nataki shook her head.

"Wait, I was _kidding_." Stopping dead in her tracks Haine asked point blank, "Did you _seriously_ ask him?"

A nervous laughter escaped Nataki as she replied, "Well yeah – it would have been rude for me _not_ to ask him, wouldn't it?"

"Pfft, look at you trying to include everyone." Pinching her cheek playfully she continued, "Miss. Goody Two-Shoes."

Nataki rolled her eyes and proceeded to speed up her gait, leaving Haine behind momentarily. "You _did_ tell me to ask my _friends_ if they wanted to come."

"You consider that egotistical prick a _friend_?" An almost accusatory tone in her voice as she caught up to Nataki easily. "Sheesh, you're a pushover, Nat."

Nataki wanted to say something in response, but ended up swallowing any words she could say in her defense. "Maybe you're right."

"I gotta toughen you up, do-do." Smirking, Haine added, "Or else people will walk all over you. Trust me."

"You . . . really think so?" Nataki knew that she was a bit of a softie, but she didn't think of herself as the type of person to be taken advantage of.

A brief moment of silence filled the space between them as Haine shrugged. "I mean, it happens to _everyone_ at some point, doesn't it?" She paused briefly before proceeding to say, "Just trying to look out for you, kid."

As Haine continued walking ahead of her, Nataki stood in place for a moment longer, Haine's words lingering in her mind._ I know. _Then, she started jogging in hopes of catching up with Haine, who had left a considerable gap between the two of them. _Since my first day at school, you've had my back Haine-chan, and I'll never forget that._

"Hold up a sec!" Nataki finally shouted before breaking into a sprint after her.

"Come on, slowpoke!" She could hear Haine reply half-jokingly. "While we're young!"

* * *

After a nice shower, Nataki was ready to lay on top of her bed sheets, turn on the small desk fan she had recently purchased, and just embrace the silence. After such a hectic week, it seemed only natural that she would want to do nothing for a bit. She was thankful that Friday was upon her, and that meant the beach trip was in her grasp.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten about the mathematics homework her teacher had assigned to her for the summer recess and groaned while thinking about how long it would likely take.

_It's a cumulative review of the entire semester . . . ugh!_

While debating whether or not to crack open her textbook and to at the very least take a peek at what she was in store for her after the beach trip, she suddenly remembered that she had yet to ask Akana about when they should sit down and discuss everything with Yugi and Kaiba.

_I really don't want to open that can of worms yet . . . and besides, the beach trip is only two days away. _Nodding to herself she continued her train of thought. _I'll ask Akana-san about it afterward. Two more days shouldn't matter if we haven't discussed that stuff with them yet, right? _

Despite her resolve with the decision, Nataki still felt unsettled. Standing up from her bed she proceeded over toward her dresser drawers and began rummaging through the assortment of clothes somewhat folded inside. Finally, she pulled out a cute light purple two-piece bathing suit with a dark purple floral print on the halter-top, and a simple dark purple skort for the bottom. _I guess this will do. _She sighed. _I __**completely**__ forgot to go shopping for a new one, and I don't really have the time to go out and look for another one . . . _

Spending the next hour figuring out everything she was going to bring with her on the beach trip helped clear her mind of all impending concerns over the inevitable discussion that needed to be had. Packing whatever she could into the tan beach bag she had pulled out of the closet, Nataki smiled to herself.

_Well, that's all set for Saturday. _

Plopping back down onto her bed she daydreamed about all the fun she would have on the trip as she closed her eyes. It would be the first time, she realized, that almost all of her friends were together in once place. Additionally, Akana had yet to spend much time with Yugi and the others, so Nataki was eager for her to spend time getting to know them better.

* * *

**~Akana~**

Sitting on the living room couch in her apartment, Akana let a tired sigh escape her. Debating whether or not to give Nataki a call, she simply closed her eyes and listened to the quiet around her. She knew that the beach trip was soon approaching and figured that would be a sure fire medium through which she could then shift gears and talk about what _truly_ mattered. It was innocent enough, she imagined, and Nataki would be none the wiser. After all, if there was one thing she had become painfully aware of in her couple months in Domino City, it was that Nataki was incredibly naive. Of course, she reminded herself that it was to be expected of the poor girl, whose rebirth each consecutive lifetime seemed to lend her to being even more removed from her purpose, her destiny.

_I would rather hold off until this . . . **excursion** is over with. _She thought to herself while absentmindedly brushing a few golden strands back from her eyes. _But we shouldn't delay much longer . . . _

Standing up from the couch she proceeded over toward her cell phone, which had sat idle most of the day on the kitchen counter. Picking it up and dialing Nataki's number she smiled sadly at the thought. _Forgive me, Nataki._

After the second ring, Akana heard Nataki's chipper voice on the other end of the call.

"Hi Akana-san!" She greeted. "How are you?"

_Such a rhetorical question can only ever warrant an equally rhetorical answer._

"Fine." A pause. "Yourself?"

"Ah, I'm doing well, thanks." With a slight hesitation she added, "I'm getting all packed for the beach trip on Saturday. I can't wait!"

Akana smiled faintly. "I can tell."

"Aren't _you_?" The question was candid.

Clearing her throat she answered, "Yes, of course." Then, figuring it best to continue on the topic at hand a tad longer she proceed to say, "Have you decided on what you'll be wearing?"

"Yeah, I have an old bathing suit that still fits." Nataki said finally. "It's not great, but it'll do. I'll probably wear my pale pink cover up dress over top of it most of the time anyway."

_Nonsense, you're **beautiful**._ Was what she wanted to say, but instead offered a more subtle reply. "I'm sure whatever you decide to wear will look nice, Nataki-san."

"Aw, you're so sweet!" Nataki exclaimed. Akana imagined that Nataki was blushing slightly and it made her lips curve upward a bit. "What about you? Have you decided what you'll be wearing? I'm sure you have _tons_ of lovely bathing suits to choose from . . ."

Akana turned her attention toward her bedroom and thought about the array of bathing suits inside ranging from some modest one piece suits to more adventurous bikinis with a variety of top and bottom styles to choose from. "Yes, modeling has certainly helped me accumulate quite a few." A pause. "You're welcome to borrow them at any time, although some may fit better than others."

"Oh, thank you Akana-san." She replied in gratitude. "I really don't know that they would flatter _me_ at all, but I'm sure they look _amazing_ on you."

_Always the modest one. _Akana thought to herself. "I'm sure they would look _very_ nice on you, assuming they fit you properly. We are slightly different in size, but not substantially."

Then, seeing her chance to deviate from this moot point of discussion, Akana skillfully transferred the focal point without it seeming forced. "How was work this week?" A pause as she walked through the hallway, her hands ghosting across the wall. "Anything interesting happen?"

She could hear the trepidation behind Nataki's answer. "Well, sort of . . ."

"Tell me." Her voice was pleading, but gentle. Truth be told, Akana already _knew_ what had transpired – Nataki was never far from her line of sight. She had not looked kindly on the CEO placing his hands on the poor girl, who had been so shaken up by his aggression and anger.

_How **dare** you. Was_ all that had echoed through her mind. _You audacious bastard. _

Akana had wanted to put an end to him right then and there, but knew that his rebirth after three millennia, in conjunction with Yugi's, likely warranted his existence in the current lifetime. For _what_, she wasn't quite sure exactly, but she would be unwise to overstep whatever fate had in store for either of them. And besides, she needed to focus on her and Nataki's destiny, which took far greater precedence in her mind.

_Trust me, Nataki._

Perhaps her unspoken words had reached the girl, or maybe the trust between them had grown enough and led Nataki to open up to her more. Whatever the reason, Akana was relieved to hear her voice finally respond.

"Well, Kaiba-san said he really wants to talk about what happened at the museum." There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the conversation, and Akana exhaled softly, waiting for Nataki to go on. "I told him _I_ didn't know that much, but that _you_ know more about it. . ."

Akana closed her eyes and remained thoughtful for a moment. _So he knows I possess knowledge about the mural, and about what happened. _"I see." Was all she offered.

"I'm _really_ sorry, Akana-san." Nataki's voice sounded apologetic and a bit regretful. "I just figured . . . well, since we _all_ have questions, and _you_ seem to be the only one with answers, that you'd be willing to answer them." A pause. "Are you upset with me?"

"Of course not." She breathed into the phone. "Kaiba is a rather . . . _tenacious_ man. I knew he would start inquiring about what happened at the museum." Remembering Kaiba's outburst, and how terrified Nataki had seemed afterward, how agonizing it was to see her continue onward the rest of her workday feeling shaken up inside, she bit her bottom lip. "Tell him that I will speak with him and Mutou-san soon. Sometime next week, most likely."

"Okay." Nataki said softly. "I will."

"Good." Akana could feel the unrest rising up inside of her, the urge to just get the conversation over with to ease Nataki's nerves as well as her own. _Patience._ She reminded herself, knowing full well that one last fun outing was something Nataki _needed_ before the metaphorical shit hit the fan.

"Um, Akana-san . . ."

Her golden eyes imagined the somewhat cautious expression on Nataki's face. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry . . . if I'm making things harder for you." The sound of her fingers tapping against something could be heard in the background. "I promise I'll do whatever it is I'm supposed to do. I just really want to _not_ think about _anything_ magical or destiny related right _now_."

Akana felt a sudden sadness shoot through her upon hearing those words – soft, but sincere. "I know, sweetie." The words came naturally. "I understand."

"Thank you." Nataki sounded genuinely appreciative. "Well, I suppose I should let you get some sleep. I didn't realize how late it is!"

Akana smiled a bit while stifling a yawn. Peering over at the alarm clock on her nightstand she nodded knowingly. The screen read 10:32PM. "It was good to talk to you." She replied gently. "Goodnight, Nataki-san." A momentary pause. "See you at the train station Saturday morning?"

"Ah, yes!" Nataki agreed. "At 7:30AM – see you then. And goodnight!"

Minutes after Nataki ended the call, the sound of her voice still lingered in Akana's mind. Sighing softly, she fell back onto her mattress, her body bouncing up slightly from the impact against the springs inside it.

"Goodnight, Nataki-san." She whispered, clutching her cell phone in her hand before closing her eyes.

* * *

**A/N**: Mini semi-filler chapter that was necessary . . . . chapter 35 is gonna be the beach, people! xD (yahoo?!)

And Akana's feelings about Kaiba seem pretty clear ovo


	35. Beach Bound

Friday had come and gone, leaving the morning of the beach trip in its wake. Before heading to the train station, Nataki checked to make sure she had everything she needed for a day of "fun in the sun." Once she had done so, she headed in the direction of the Domino City train station, sending a quick text to everyone that she was on her way and would see them soon.

The streets were relatively quiet for a Saturday morning, and Nataki smiled at the thought. She was usually always in the midst of the crowds for the morning commute, so it was nice to have some breathing room as she walked through the city. This soon changed when she reached the train station and found it quite packed inside – people of all ages waiting impatiently for the train to come. Navigating through the sea of faces, she managed to spot Akana standing off to the side, her hands clutching a large white tote bag. Her golden eyes were hidden behind somewhat large-rimmed, white sunglasses, and her golden hair were sticking out from the matching white sunhat she was wearing. Nataki couldn't help staring in awe at how lovely Akana always looked – she wore a sheer, white cover-up dress over top of what appeared to be a delicate white bikini with matching white sandals.

_How is it possible for someone to exude such beauty so effortlessly? _Nataki thought to herself as she proceeded over in her direction.

"Good-morning Akana-san!" She greeted loudly, trying to talk over the buzzing sound of multiple conversations being had around them.

The girl turned her head in Nataki's direction. Upon noticing her approaching she returned the gesture, waving her hand casually while pursing her lips into a thin smile. "Good morning."

Coming to a halt in front of her, Nataki could barely contain her excitement. "You look so pretty!"

"Thank you." Golden eyes glancing over her briefly she added, "I'm quite fond of your outfit, too."

Face flushing a bit, Nataki smiled. "Aw, shucks." Then, turning her attention to the groups of passengers around them she inquired, "Have you seen anyone yet?"

Akana shook her head. "No. But there's still time." Looking over in the direction of the large clock she continued, "It's not quite 7:30 yet."

Nataki nodded while securing her bag more tightly in her grasp. "Do you think all of these people are headed to the beach?"

"Unlikely." Her face was pensive. "Although I'm sure a good number of them might be . . . perhaps a third. It _is_ one of the last weekends before the second term starts, after all."

"Right." Dark blue eyes looking around in wonder, Nataki hoped that the rest of her friends would show up soon.

A handful of minutes later Haine appeared – as if on cue – with the girls from the swim team. Nataki recognized them, having been introduced to them at the meets she attended to show her support for Haine, but had never really spoken much to them directly. Still, they seemed nice enough – small, strong-willed, and saucy. _Very much like Haine-chan. _She recalled thinking to herself. _It's no wonder they're friends._

"Hey Nat!" Haine's voice was crisp and cheerful as she rushed over to her, the girls trailing after her. "You remember Yumi?" She began while gesturing to the girl with straight dark brown hair tied into a sloppy bun to her right. "And Minako?" She continued, shifting her attention to the other girl on her left, whose wavy, shoulder length blonde hair bounced playfully as she walked. Both girls waved at Nataki pleasantly.

"Good to see you Yumi-san, Minako-san."

"Eh, no need to be so formal, Kuzana." Minako reminded gently.

"Right." Nataki turned toward Akana, who was standing beside her quietly. "Well, this is my friend Akana-san. I don't believe you've met."

Minako smiled coyly at Akana, who seemed somewhat disinterested, but reached out to shake her hand out of politeness. "Well, no. We haven't _formally_ been introduced, but who _doesn't_ know Shizukami, Akana?" Striking as sexy a pose as she could muster she added, "The sexiest swimsuit model in Japan."

Akana's cheeks flushed the slightest bit, betraying her momentarily, not so much because _she_ was embarrassed, but more so because she knew these platitudes likely stripped away the little bit of confidence _Nataki_ had in her body image. Which was absurd, because anyone with _eyes_ could see how lovely, genuine, and pure Nataki's beauty was, too. Yes, it was different from Akana's, but no less intense or mystifying. On the contrary, Akana often had to stifle a sigh when gazing into the deep blue depths of those eyes. She could drown in them, if she stared too long.

Not sure how best to respond Akana finally offered "It's a pleasure." While returning the handshake.

"If I may be so bold, it's an honor to meet you in person." Yumi spoke up suddenly. "I mean, it's not everyday we get to meet a _celebrity_."

Akana smiled faintly. "I hardly consider myself a celebrity, but thanks." She stated flatly. "If you wouldn't mind keeping it down a bit, else this train ride may quickly become . . . intolerable."

Getting the hint – lots of heads had turned to look on with curious eyes upon hearing Haine's two swim-mates react to meeting Akana – Minako and Yumi nodded.

"Good to see you, Akana." Haine acknowledged with a smirk, which Akana returned promptly.

"Ugh, it's so crowded already!" Minako spat.

"I know." Yumi said with a sigh. "How many more people are we waiting for?"

"I think four more." Haine interjected. "The King of Games and his unofficial posse."

Nataki stifled a chuckle at the thought of Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu being referred to as such.

"Ooo, there's no way to avoid attracting attention then – too many famous people in our group!" Minako whined.

Yumi smiled sheepishly. "But on the plus side, _we'll_ be seen hanging out with _them_!"

As Nataki nonchalantly glanced at the girls' swimsuits, she realized she was the only one wearing a two-piece. Feeling somewhat out of place, Nataki tugged at her cover-up dress a bit, hoping it concealed her lackluster suit, as well as her less defined body. Haine and her girlfriends looked incredibly lean, but you'd have to be fit and trim if you wanted to be on the swim team. And then there was Akana, who always seemed flawlessly fabulous. _Stop comparing yourself, Nataki. _She scolded herself in silence.

Checking the clock, which read 7:28 Nataki began to feel restless. _I hope Yugi-kun and the gang get here soon._"When is the train leaving again?" She inquired aloud.

"Um, I think 7:40." Haine stated, "Which reminds me . . . we should probably buy our tickets from the machine over there. They're _always_ more expensive to buy on the train."

"Good call, Haine!" Minako shouted before heading over toward an available machine to purchase one, with Yumi quickly following after her.

Haine looked over at Nataki with a smirk. "I swear, sometimes I think they're more goofy than you, do-do." Playfully tapping her on the forehead she added, "Well, let's go get our tickets."

Nataki nodded and glanced over at Akana, who hadn't budged. "Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, I already purchased mine." With a quick motion, she had retrieved the ticket from the inside of her bag and waved it in the air momentarily before sticking it back inside. "I'll wait here."

"Okay, be right back!" Nataki exclaimed before following after Haine through the crowd toward a ticket dispenser.

"No sign of Yugi and company?" Haine asked while coming to halt in front of a vacant machine and selecting her ticket for purchase.

"No." Nataki replied somewhat anxiously. "Not yet."

"Hmm," Haine hummed while snatching her ticket. "Well, don't worry too much. They've got time. It's _just_ 7:30 now." She added while showing Nataki her ticket stub, which had the date and time of purchase printed on it.

"Yeah, I know." Nataki agreed. Then, turning her attention to the screen she proceeded to select and purchase her ticket. "I just worry too much, I guess."

"Pssh, you _really_ do." Haine teased while nudging her in the side. "You've gotta relax, kid. Especially today – this is the one big hurrah we're doing before the next term starts up . . ." Wrapping an arm around Nataki's neck while proceeding to walk back to where Akana was patiently waiting she continued, "You work _so_ hard, you owe it to yourself to have fun!"

Nataki laughed lightly. "You're right, as always."

"Heh, of course." Removing her arm from Nataki she let out a sigh. "But they better not hold us up. I feel like I've been waiting a century for this day to come!"

"Me too." Nataki agreed.

As if on cue, the sound of Jounouchi's voice could be heard. "Hey, I think I see Nat!" A pause. "And Suzude and Shizukami, too!"

Turning in the direction of his voice, Nataki peered out into the crowd, her face beaming upon seeing Jounouchi emerge from behind a a large group of adults who looked to be in their twenties. "Hi Jounouchi-kun!" Trailing behind him was the rest of the gang, as well as two unfamiliar faces. Once they made it over toward where Nataki and the others were waiting, she smiled. "I'm so glad you all made it!"

"Yeah, do-do was starting to worry about you all." Haine spat. "Way to barely get here on time."

"Well, we would've been here sooner, but I forgot that my sister was coming to visit, and knew she'd _love_ to come with us to the beach."

Nataki blinked as she glanced over at the girl standing alongside Jounouchi, her long tawny hair tied into a long braid that was cascading down her shoulder. The girl shot her a pleasant smile and bowed her head.

"I'm Kawai, Shizuka. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." She greeted while looking over at Nataki and the lot waiting beside her. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

Before anyone could get a word in edgewise, a tall male with piercing emerald eyes and jet black hair emerged from behind Honda and shot her and the rest of the girls a smirk. "And I'm Otogi, Ryuji." He interjected playfully. "AKA the coolest member of this cadre."

"Ya know, we could have just left you behind . . ." Jounouchi reminded him.

Ignoring him, Otogi waltzed languidly over toward Nataki. With a swift motion, he had snatched her hand and left a ghostly kiss upon it."It's a pleasure to meet you ladies." He added while winking playfully. Nataki's face was beet red, and all at once she wondered if he had really kissed her hand at all or if she had imagined it. The jealous looks on Minako and Yumi's faces, coupled with the somewhat pissed off expressions on Haine and Akana's seemed to indicate that he had. Taking a few steps back he smiled sheepishly. "No need to be jealous, ladies. You're _all_ welcome to hang out with me once we get to the beach."

Nataki's face looked positively flabbergasted, and she stood speechless.

"Otogi!" Jounouchi barked. "Stop wooing the ladies. You're making 'em uncomfortable."

Just then, Anzu let a heavy sigh escape her as she leaned over to whisper in Yugi's ear "I _knew_ we should have left him behind." causing Yugi to laugh sheepishly.

"Maybe you were right, Anzu."

Otogi looked over in his direction with an insulted look and strode back over next to Honda, who was shaking his head.

"Well, it's nice to meet you both." Nataki said, finally able to regain her voice.

"Yeah, real nice." Haine cleared her throat and gestured at the machines for purchasing tickets. "Well now that this icebreaker is over, you guys need to buy your tickets soon. The train will be here in like, three minutes."

A collective gasp sounded from Yugi and his group, followed by a prompt scurrying off in the direction Haine had designated.

Nataki sighed deeply, still somewhat recovering from Otogi's attempts at being a suave ladies man. She looked over at Haine who was rolling her eyes.

"_Great_." The sarcasm was thick in her tone, especially as she gazed over at Minako and Yumi, who seemed to be staring fixated in the direction of Otogi. "I've lost _them_." A pause. "You gonna make it, Nat?"

Nataki nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah. It just kinda caught me off-guard is all."

Soon enough Akana's reassuring hand was on her shoulder. "Don't mind him." She said coolly, although her eyes seemed to be glowering over at Otogi in such a way as to suggest she was plotting his death if he ever tried something like that again.

"That girl Jounouchi brought seems nice." Haine offered with a shrug. "Did he say that was his sister?"

"Ah, yes." Nataki replied while thinking back on the times he had mentioned her in conversation.

* * *

Upon hearing him recall participating in some sort of tournament during lunchtime, seeking the prize money to help his sister out she had inquired about her.

"Aw yeah, I don't think I've told you about Shizuka." Reaching into the pocket of his pants, he had retrieved a small, brown leather wallet. After a quick flick of his fingers, he had placed a small photograph onto his desk. Tapping it lightly he continued, "She's my little sister. Our parents are divorced, and she lives with my mom outside of the city." A sudden sad look claimed his face when he added, "I don't see her too often, but . . ." Smiling down at the picture of her he offered, "She's a good kid."

Nataki remembered the way his face had lit up upon talking about her. "I'm sorry you don't get to see her more often."

Somehow her words had rendered everyone in the group speechless momentarily, including Jounouchi.

"I'd love to meet her someday." She proceeded to say with an innocent smile. "If that's okay with you, Jounouchi-kun."

"Yeah! I'd love that!" He had exclaimed. "And I'm sure she'd really love to meet you, too!"

"Come to think of it, Shizuka-chan is very similar to you Nataki-chan." Yugi offered, a shy smile forming on his lips. Turning to Nataki he continued, "She's very kind and soft-spoken, and she loves cute things. I'm sure you two would really hit it off."

* * *

Returning to the present, Nataki watched Anzu return with Shizuka at her side, who was holding onto her ticket gently. Tawny eyes gazed over at her briefly and she offered a wave.

"_She's a good kid."_

"Well, we're all set." Anzu declared proudly, waving her ticket above her head.

"Excellent." Haine chirped. "Now we just gotta wait for the goon squad to get their tickets."

The sudden rumble of movement upon steel caused everyone to become quiet. Within seconds, an approaching train came into view. The clickety clack sound was increasingly apparent as the locomotive slowed to a crawl before stopping completely, and all at once the impatient passengers started to shuffle over toward the opening doors.

"All aboard!" Haine shouted, at which her two swim teammates cheered "Woot, woot!"

"But what about-?" Nataki tried.

"They'll find us." Akana stated flatly while gently grabbing her arm and pulling her along with her as she headed toward the train.

"Yeah, don't worry." Haine agreed. "We gotta board now if we want good seats!"

"Dibs on the window!" Minako shouted.

"No fair! You _always_ want the window seat." Yumi pouted.

"Well, _I'll_ have it on the way to the beach, and _you_ can have it on the way back."

"Yeah right! I've heard that before."

"Break it up, ladies." Haine interjected while hustling after them, leaving Nataki with the rest of the gals.

"Hurry up onii-chan!" Shizuka called.

"Ugh, those guys!" Anzu huffed. "Shizukami-san is right. They'll just have to come find us."

And with that the four girls boarded the train and settled for a group of seats located near one of the cars in the front. Settling into her seat, Nataki looked around – anxious and wide-eyed, as if taking in everything for the first time. Truth be told, it wasn't – she had boarded quite a few trains during her journey from Furubira to Domino City, but never before with such company. She smiled at the thought of traveling with a group of friends, feeling grateful evermore for them.

"Would you like the window seat, Nataki-san?" Akana said softly.

Nataki's face flushed slightly. _Who __**doesn't**__? _Was what she thought to herself, but she didn't want to be rude.

Chuckling lightly Akana proceeded to add, "It's alright. I don't mind an aisle seat."

"Are you sure?" She inquired.

"I wouldn't have made an empty offer." Akana replied with a wink. "It's yours."

"Thank you, Akana-san." She said softly, a slight tinge of red still adorning her cheeks.

"You're quite welcome."

Settling herself into the seat she wondered if Haine's two girlfriends had stopped quarreling over who would be getting the window seat. As if on cue, she felt a finger tap her on the head lightly from behind.

"Yo." Haine greeted. "I finally got these two to shut up." Her thumb gesturing to the two now quiet girls, one at each side of her. Minako looked like she was playing some kind of game on her phone, while Yumi had buried her face in what seemed to be a light novel of sorts.

"You're a real miracle worker, Haine-chan." Nataki joked.

"Among other things." A pause. "Wouldn't it be funny if those idiots ended up missing the train?"

"Oh no," Shizuka spoke up, her voice wavering a bit as she peered over at Haine from the seat in front of Akana. "Do you really think that will happen?"

"No." Anzu sighed. "But they better hurry up."

"We're here!" Honda shouted while practically lunging into the train car. "We've got our tickets!"

"It's about time." Haine sighed. "Now hurry up and sit down before the train starts moving and you all end up flailing into other passengers."

"Duly noted." Yugi agreed while making his way toward some available seats across the aisle from where the girls were seated. "Come on you guys. There are some seats right here."

Jounouchi, Honda, and Otogi filed in behind him, taking seats without much thought as to who sat next to who. In the end, Yugi and Jounouchi ended up sitting together, leaving Honda and Otogi to take the available seats behind them.

Almost immediately after they seated themselves the train started moving.

"_Man_ that was a close one." Jounouchi sighed.

"_Too_ close." Anzu chided. "You made poor Shizuka-chan worry, you dotes."

"Sorry Shizuka." Jounouchi apologized.

"I just didn't want to leave onii-chan behind." She smiled. "Or anyone, for that matter."

"Don't worry Shizuka-chan." Otogi said with a wink. "If for some reason we _did_ miss the train, I could have drove your brother and the rest of us to the beach."

"That's so sweet of you, Otogi-san." Shizuka said gleefully while Jounouchi and Honda both narrowed their eyes at him and made the gesture 'I'm watching you,' causing him to flinch slightly.

Nataki laughed nervously at the commotion amongst the group. _This is going to be __**some**__ trip._

* * *

The train ride to the beach was surprisingly quiet despite the influx from more passengers boarding at the stations en route to their destination. Haine had resigned herself to listening to her mp3 player with Yumi while Minako stared out at the window silently admiring the flash of scenery as the train sped along. Anzu and Shizuka had brought some sort of puzzle book of sorts and spent much of the time on word searches and crossword puzzles. The muted conversation amongst the guys faded in and out, with the train traveling over the metal tracks overpowering it much of the time. Nataki's attention shifted from the world outside to Akana, who was sitting quietly with her eyes shut. Wondering if she was awake Nataki cautiously tapped on her shoulder. Golden eyes opened lightly and gazed over at her.

"Yes?"

"Ah, I'm sorry – I was just wondering if you were sleeping." Nataki confessed.

"It's fine." Akana said. "I just find it more relaxing to close my eyes when I'm sitting for an extended period of time."

"I understand."

"Are you enjoying the window seat?" She asked.

Nataki nodded. "Very much. Thanks."

Turning her head to look outside once more, Nataki smiled in awe as the landscape blended into a swirl of colors – blue sky, green trees, gray rocks, white clouds, brown and red buildings . . . it was almost hypnotizing to stare at after a while.

"Do you think we're almost there?" She queried while checking her phone, which read 8:45 on the screen.

"Most likely." Akana replied while rummaging through her purse only to retrieve her lipstick. Coating her lips lightly she continued, "I overheard some of the other passengers talking, and from what I gathered we only have one or two stops left. Then we'll be able to continue onward unimpeded."

"Really?" Nataki's face lit up. "That's _great_!"

Placing her lipstick back inside her tote bag she nodded. "You're so excited."

Nataki's face flushed slightly. "Yeah, I guess so . . ."

"Don't feel embarrassed." Smirking at her playfully she added, "It's cute."

Fidgeting with her hands on her lap, Nataki tried her best to mask how much Akana's words affected her.

_She's always saying things like that . . ._

Feeling a tingling warmth on her cheeks and inside her chest she realized how honest and unabashed Akana spoke sweet things to her. More embarrassing, perhaps, was the realization that Akana's words meant more to her than they should have. Shifting so that her body was turned toward the window, Nataki hoped Akana wouldn't see her struggle to regain her composure.

* * *

About an forty-five minutes later, the train was finally pulling into the station a few miles from the beach, and a feeling of excitement filled the air around the group.

"Oh my _god_, finally!" Haine exclaimed while haphazardly shifting in her seat hoping to get a better look outside. She was practically on top of Minako, who let out a sound of surprise.

"_Geez_, Haine! Give me a little warning next time!" She spat.

"Sorry." Haine said flatly while scooching back into her seat. "I'm just _so_ glad we're here!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Nataki turned around and casually poked her head over the back of her seat. "Me too, Haine-chan!" She agreed.

When the train slowly came to a halt, Akana opened her eyes and gazed over at Nataki momentarily. "Hmm, we made good time considering how many stops there were along the way." Her lips curved into a small smile.

"Yes, definitely." Nataki nodded while settling back down into her seat.

"Yahoo!" Jounouchi cheered. "We made it!"

Otogi stretched his arms over his head and flexed his fingers. Exhaling deeply he let out a smirk. "Alright. Beach babes, here I come~" Then, turning to look at the females in the group he added, "Of course, in addition to you fine ladies."

After a collective sigh at the remark, and a swift punch in the arm from Honda, the group proceeded to grab their belongings and head toward the beach with Haine leading the way.

* * *

**A/N: **So Nataki gets to meet a few more canon characters - Shizuka and Otogi! :) They won't play a major role in the plot of this fic, but I think it's important to show that they are still very much a part of the show and are present in Yugi and company's lives.

And LOL at the commotion caused from traveling with such a large group!

The next chapter brings forth the actual "beach fun," as well as something else (without saying too much).

Stay tuned and enjoy! Your support means so much!


	36. Life's a Beach

After scouring for the best place to "set up camp," the gang finally found an optimal location that was close enough to the boardwalk, but not too far from the shoreline. The girls took care setting their tote bags down and laying down some blankets while the guys planted some beach umbrellas into the ground.

"I'm _so_ glad we got here early!" Minako squealed. "If we hadn't, all of the good spots on the beach would have been taken!"

"Agreed." Yumi said with a nod. "Well, what should we do first?"

"I say we play some volleyball!" Haine exclaimed. "Girls versus boys?"

"No way!" Jounouchi interrupted. "It'd be _totally_ unfair to you gals."

Akana raised an eyebrow. "Why?" A pause. "Because you believe your height and strength are superior to ours?"

"Not think – know." Honda countered. "Height is half the advantage to spiking the ball."

"Among other factors." Akana continued. "Coordination, speed, ability to work well with others . . ."

Nataki watched her friends go back and forth in the discussion and couldn't help sighing a bit. _Is this what the whole trip is going to be like? _

"Oh dear."

Turning her head, she realized that Shizuka was standing beside her, a slight look of concern on her face.

"What do you think we should do, Kuzana-san?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Well," Nataki seemed pensive. "We have eleven people altogether. We can have one person be the referee, so that makes two teams of five?" Crossing her arms in front of her chest she continued, "Maybe we could count off by twos? Have all the ones form a team, and all the twos form the other team?"

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea!" Shizuka said happily.

"Okay then." Nataki inhaled a deep breath. Turning to face the still squabbling group she began anew. "Excuse me everyone!" Her voice wasn't loud enough to be heard above the clamor of her companions. However, Haine's hazel eyes must have caught a glimpse of Nataki facing them and trying to speak.

"Yo, hold up a sec!" Her voice carrying far more than Nataki's had. "Nat wants to say something!"

The conversation settled down into a handful of murmurs before all eyes were on Nataki, who was standing with her hands clasped in front of her.

"So, um, I was thinking of an easier way to solve forming teams." She tried.

"Go on, Nataki-san." Akana said reassuringly.

"Well, instead of grouping by sex, why don't we just randomize it by counting of by twos? That would make two mixed teams of five, and one referee."

There was a brief silence, quickly followed by a collective sound of approval.

"Yeah, that works for me." Otogi said with a smile. "That way I can have lady luck on my team."

Nataki laughed nervously when he shot her a playful wink.

"Hmm, well there are more girls than guys, so why don't we have one of the girls referee?" Yugi offered. "Of course, if no one wants to referee I will gladly step in."

"I'll do it." Yumi asserted. "I mean, I'm not really all that good at volleyball anyway."

"Cool." Haine looked out at the group. "So now we need to make our teams. Yumi, start having us count off by twos!"

Once teams had been arranged and given nicknames (as per Honda and Jounouchi's request), the guys got to work setting up a space for the volleyball court.

Shizuka proceeded over toward Nataki, who was looking for the volleyball Honda had claimed to have packed in his beach bag.

"That was a good idea, Nataki-san." She smiled.

Nataki blinked and then returned the smile. "I'm glad you think so."

"Even though we're on opposing teams, I wish you luck!"

Chuckling lightly Nataki replied, "Yes, you too!" _Although_ y_our team might need it more than mine. _

As it stood, the final configurations were Minako, Shizuka, Haine, Honda, and Otogi on team "Hot Mess" and Akana, Jounouchi, Yugi, Anzu, and herself on team "Spirit." While Haine and Honda were surely fierce opponents, Nataki knew that Anzu and Jounouchi were likely a force to be reckoned with too, and then there was Akana who, although she had never seen the girl play any sports, imagined that she was likely very good at most of them.

"Alright then." Haine chirped. "Let's do this."

Nataki nodded and smirked. "You're on, Haine-chan!"

Suddenly, the sound of Yumi whistling filled the air and everyone took their positions on the court.

"Ready, set, serve!" Yumi shouted, announcing the beginning of the game.

At first, it seemed that whatever team served the ball won the round. But after a while, things started to get interesting, the thrill of battle more intense. As team "Hot Mess" relied on their charm and charisma to distract, team "Spirit" continued to bolster each others' confidence and support one another as best they could – re-configuring where players were positioned and such. Nataki had attempted to spike the ball a handful of times only to end up eating sand, which amused the whole lot except for Akana, who seemed to retaliate the humiliation done to Nataki tenfold. Otogi took a few shots to the face, having provoked this sort of frustration from Jounouchi and Honda in the midst of his flirting and cajoling of the ladies (on both teams, not surprising). After about an hour, the scores revealed the winner to be team "Spirit."

"Yahoo!" Jounouchi cheered. "We're volleyball champs!"

"For _now_." Haine stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't get used to it."

"Aw, is someone being a sore loser?" He inquired, poking fun at her competitive nature.

"Well, at least I didn't run into the net." A pause. "Or eat a mouthful of sand." She gibed playfully while looking over at Nataki, who was downing a bottle of water like it was nothing. "Speaking of which, how're you holding up, Nat?"

"Don't worry Haine, I'm _shore_ she's fine!" Minako teased.

"Yeah, _shell_ be okay!" Yumi agreed while joining in.

Nataki rolled her eyes. "Ha. Ha. You guys are _so_ funny." She said sarcastically.

"Seriously, you girls are acting like total _beaches_." Haine laughed. "Okay, I'm done." Walking over toward Nataki and placing a hand on her shoulder she began anew. "Seriously though, you okay?"

"Yes." Nataki nodded. "My throat is just a bit scratchy." Gazing over at one of the snack shacks nearby she continued, "I think I'm going to get a snow cone."

"Good idea!" Anzu said while approaching her. "I could go for one, too!"

"Oh, may I come as well?" Shizuka inquired softly.

"Sure!" Nataki smiled. "Follow us, Kawai-san."

"Thank you." She replied, her gentle eyes filled with gratitude. "And please, call me Shizuka." Her cheeks tinged with a delicate blush.

"Sure!" Nataki replied with a chipper expression. Turning toward the rest of the group she asked if anyone else wanted a snow cone before heading over with Anzu and Shizuka. Once they were standing in line, Nataki's eyes skimmed over the flavor options with glee.

"Oh wow, they have piña colada flavor!" Anzu's eyes lit up. "I'll _definitely_ have to try it."

Nataki continued perusing the options while Shizuka did the same. Almost simultaneously, they both said "Strawberry." Turning toward each other, the two girls laughed a bit.

"I just _love_ strawberry _anything_." Shizuka giggled.

"Me too!" Nataki stated. "Strawberry smoothies, milk shakes, pies . . ."

Shizuka nodded and added onto the list. "And salads and snack foods, too! Like gummies, cereal bars . . ."

"Wow, you two really are like two peas in a pod." Remarked Anzu after ordering her snow cone.

Once all three girls had their treats, they happily made their way back to where they had "set up camp," only to find that most of the guys had opted to go swimming. Only Otogi remained. Seated on one of the large beach blankets, his sharp emerald eyes hidden behind red rimmed sunglasses, he was smiling coyly, his hand grasping a container of sunblock. Turning toward Nataki, Shizuka, and Anzu he began,

"Would any of you lovely ladies like me to put some sunblock on you?" His voice a purr.

"_No_ _fair_, Otogi!" Minako hissed. "You promised you would do _me_ first!"

Haine shook her head disapprovingly. "I don't recall hearing him say that."

"Shut up Haine." She countered.

"Ladies, no need to fight." With a smirk he added, "I'll gladly rub sunblock onto _all_ of you."

Anzu's face looked disgusted. "Next thing you know, he'll be suggesting we all sit in a circle or set up a sunblock train."

Akana, who was previously quiet as she lay on a beach blanket soaking up some rays, tilted her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and crinkled it in disgust. "Like an orgy."

Otogi's face went beet red and he stood up appalled. "What the _hell_? Why would you . . . !"

While Haine and Minako started laughing hysterically, Akana merely shook her head dismissively. Flustered, he set down the bottle of sunblock and combed his fingers through his jet black hair, attempting to regain his composure. "Well, _anyway_, you should all make sure you don't get sunburned." A pause. "So do you want me to or . . . ?"

"We've got it covered." Yumi spoke up finally, gesturing to her skin. "I think most of us applied before we got on the train."

A collective sound of agreement filled the space and Otogi sighed. "Fine. Guess I'll go see what those guys are up to." With a wink he added, "But feel free to come get me if you change your mind~"

And with that he ran off, leaving the girls some much needed time for sun bathing and chit chat. Akana continued catching some rays, but participated in conversations that warranted her input or were of interest to her. Nataki had began trying to construct a sand castle, which ended up looking more like a hill of sand than anything.

"Pfft, what is _that_?" Haine queried. "And don't you _dare_ say a sandcastle."

Nataki pouted while trying to wet the sand a bit more in hopes of making it firmer. "It's a work in progress."

"More like a cry for help." Haine sighed while crouching down next to her. "You're doing it all wrong." And before Nataki had a say in the matter, Haine was restructuring the entire thing. "See, you gotta incorporate a denser, wetter sand in the middle and then build up around it."

"What's all the hubbub over here?" Yumi asked suddenly, her body casting a shadow over the somewhat more satisfying castle.

"Haine-chan is trying to help me build a sandcastle." Nataki laughed sheepishly.

Raising an eyebrow incredulously, Yumi knelt down in between the two girls. "No, no, no." She exclaimed. "You're doing it all wrong."

"Like _hell_ we are." Haine spat. "Get outta here, I've got this."

"No way, you _totally_ need my help."

Soon enough, the rest of the girls had stopped whatever they had been doing to venture over toward the castle catastrophe. It was Akana who merely gazed at the failed attempt without saying much of anything, but feeling it only right that she should show them the proper way to build a sandcastle she cleared her throat.

"This castle will never do." She said flatly, causing the rest of them to look up.

"Oh, so did you graduate from Sandcastle Academy or something?" Yumi narrowed her eyes.

Not quite sure if it was even worth the breath to acknowledge that snarky remark, Akana thought better of it and merely situated herself on the ground next to Nataki, who was looking at her curiously. "We need to start from scratch." She began anew while demolishing the haphazard sandcastle with her hands, which prompted a few outcries from Haine and Minako.

Her golden eyes glinted over at Haine and her two salty swim mates. "You three, go fetch us some water." She suggested while handing Haine an empty bucket. Turning her head to face Anzu she continued, "Mazaki-san, would you help me collect some sand and then remove any debris mixed inside it?"

Anzu blinked, her azure eyes a bit confused. "Sure, but I'm not quite following."

Akana sighed as if tired by the fact she needed to explain herself. "Well, only the fine sand will only be able to be compacted and shaped – pieces of shells, rocks, coarser grains of sand . . . these will merely be in the way and prevent the sand from fully compacting around them, weakening the overall foundation of the castle, and warranting collapse."

Everyone stared at Akana somewhat stupefied, their faces in a state of shock as if to suggest _"Holy crap! Did she just explain the science behind making a stupid sandcastle?" _Of course they were, in reality, quite speechless for a moment.

Raising an eyebrow Akana asked Anzu again, "So will you help me filter the sand?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." She replied.

"Excellent." Slowly she turned to look at Nataki, whose excitement and anticipation had risen. "Nataki-san, you and Kawai-san will scour the shoreline looking for seashells, sea glass, anything that you feel will add a nice finishing touch to decorate our castle with."

Nataki looked over at Shizuka, who was just as eager to start searching as she was. "Okay!"

"Well then, let's get to work."

* * *

About half an hour later the guys returned from their water play only to see the girls hard at work – what that work _was_, however, they weren't quite sure. After all, they had passed by Haine, Minako, and Yumi gathering water, and Nataki and Shizuka walking along the shoreline picking up shells and starfish only to find Akana and Anzu sitting on the ground sifting through sand.

"What's going on?" Honda wondered aloud.

"Dunno." Jounouchi said flatly. "But it looks like the girls are planning to build a sandcastle."

"Really?" Yugi blinked. "That sounds like fun. Maybe we shoulder build one, too."

Just then Jounouchi started chuckling. "Yeah, how 'bout we make it a contest?"

"Why?" Akana inquired without looking up from her work.

"Because it'll be fun!" Jounouchi retorted. "We'll have someone judge 'em, and the losing team has to buy the winning team ice cream."

"But we just had snow cones." Anzu countered.

"Well then, how about lunch?" He offered. "Losers buy the winners lunch."

"Hmm, interesting." Haine muttered under her breath while returning with a bucket of water. "What do you girls think?"

"Yes!" Minako and Yumi cheered.

"Alright, it's settled then!" Jounouchi barked. "Yug, you and Otogi go get us some water. Honda and I will start getting the sand together to start constructing."

"Why don't we make it into a sandcastle with a moat around it?" Otogi offered. "It'd be pretty hard to beat that."

"Aw yeah, this is gonna be _epic_!" Honda hooted and hollered. "Let's _do_ this thing!"

While gazing over at the guys start their "plan of attack," Nataki and Shizuka returned with handfuls of small decorative materials.

"What are they _doing_?" Nataki wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure." Shizuka said softly. "But they seem _really_ into it."

Sitting down next to the already partly constructed sandcastle, Nataki and Shizuka gently set down what they had found – seashells of various shapes, sizes, and colors, a couple small starfish, and even some rainbow colored pieces of sea glass.

"Awesome!" Anzu exclaimed. "Good work, you two!"

Akana nodded. "I knew you two would find something nice to brighten up our sandcastle."

Both Nataki and Shizuka's faces tinged a faint red as they smiled in triumph.

A while later, both groups had finished their sandcastles and had asked three random strangers which castle they thought was the best. While the guys had put more muscle into theirs – making it taller and more bulky in construction – the girls had put more effort into the delicate intricacies of making the castle unique. A cheer erupted from Nataki and the rest of the gals while Yugi and his crew groaned in protest.

"So, you know what _that_ means . . ." Haine jeered. "It's lunchtime, ladies."

Despite their grunts of disapproval, Jounouchi, Honda, Yugi, and Otogi _did_ buy the girls lunches. They then proceeded to buy some for themselves.

"How does your shrimp salad taste, Yumi?" Minako inquired,

A mischievous smirk claimed her face as she replied, "Like victory." before she high-fived Minako.

Honda shook his head. "You may think we're _sore_ losers, but y'all are _horrible_ winners."

"Says the sore loser." Haine spat.

"Haine-chan . . ." Nataki tried.

"Okay, fine. I'll lay off." Turning to face Akana, who was eating a grilled chicken flatbread she added, "You're pretty _badass_, you know that Shizukami?"

A small smirk tugged at her lips. "Thanks, Suzude-san." A pause. "I'm happy to have helped."

"Like seriously, you know _so_ much about the most seemingly trivial of things. I mean, the intricacies of building sandcastles?" Shaking her head as in disbelief Haine proceeded with, "You're like a walking reference book."

Nataki chuckled lightly at the thought, having remembered what Akana had told her about remembering everything from each lifetime. _Haine-chan makes a good comparison without even realizing it. _Akana seemed to understand the cause for Nataki's laughter and smiled faintly at her.

"Yeah, next time Shizukami is on _our_ team, capiche?" Jounouchi asserted.

"Oh my." Akana covered her mouth. "Do _I_ have a say in any of this?"

Light-hearted laughter soon filled the space between the group, and Nataki couldn't imagine her life any other way than it was at that moment. _They make me so happy . . ._

* * *

A little over five hours later, everyone had their fill of the sunshine and sand and were ready to head back home. After packing up their belongings and making their way back to the train station the gang waited patiently for the next train. It had been an enjoyable day, a fantastic finale to the end of their summer recess . . . except for the homework that some of them (namely Jounouchi, Honda, and Yugi) hadn't even started yet. But this could not diminish the buzz from their beach high.

When the train finally _did_ arrive, the group shuffled aboard and all managed to find seats next to each other, just as they had that morning. The agreement about who would get the window seat on the way back had long since been forgotten, although Yumi ended up getting it anyway.

Settling into her seat, Nataki let out a yawn before smiling.

"Someone's tired." Akana said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. "From having too much fun."

"No such thing." Nataki breathed, her eyes twinkling from the adventures of the day. "I'm really glad you came, Akana-san."

Her golden eyes gazed at Nataki in surprise, which was quickly replaced with gratitude. "So am I, Nataki-san." Seeing her yawn once more she added, "Feel free to sleep on the way home. I won't mind."

"Thanks Akana-san." She said softly. "I just might take you up on the offer."

* * *

About two hours later, the train arrived at Domino City. The somewhat groggy group grabbed their things and exited.

"That was _awesome_." Haine stated flatly. "We're _definitely_ going to plan another trip like this."

"Agreed." Yumi and Minako said almost in unison.

"Count me in!" Yugi exclaimed with a chipper smile.

Turning to look at Nataki, Shizuka began "I, um, really enjoyed getting to know you, Kuzana-san."

"Me too, Shizuka-san." A pause. "And please, call me Nataki."

With an eager look she replied, "Okay . . . Nataki-san!"

"Aw, I just _knew_ you two would hit it off!" Jounouchi interjected while grabbing hold of both girls around the waist. "I'm so glad!"

After a moment or two, everyone had to head off in different directions. Once they had exchanged goodbyes, Nataki proceeded to head home. About halfway through her journey she felt a hand grab hold of her own. Turning around abruptly, she saw that Haine was staring at her expectantly.

"Haine-chan!" She gasped, her heart thudding strongly in her chest. "You scared the _crap_ out of me!"

"Sorry." Haine offered. "You okay?"

"I _will_ be in a minute." She replied while clutching her chest. "How long have you been following me?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Haine responded with "A few minutes." Sensing Nataki's need for elaboration she added, "I didn't feel like going home yet."

"Really?" Truth be told, Nataki was ready to shower and crawl into bed. But as she continued to look at Haine, she noticed a twinkle of mischief in her hazel eyes, and knew she was far from ready to call it a day. "Well, what did you have in mind?" She inquired while stifling a yawn.

"Eh, not much." Staring up at the clear night sky she continued, "Wanna go for a walk?"

Nataki nodded and followed Haine down the somewhat quiet streets of Domino, engaging in some small talk as she did so. Apparently Haine hadn't started the math homework either, and plans to possibly meet up next week after work began to be made. _Two heads are better than one, after all._ Nataki thought to herself.

The two continued walking until they realized they were almost at the pier. It was a generally abandoned place during the evenings, and Haine smiled at the thought.

"I like to come here sometimes . . ." She said coolly. "When I need some space. Or time to think."

Nataki shot her a small smile, her dark blue eyes looking out at the ocean that extended far off toward the horizon. "I can see that." Feeling the breeze blow through her raven strands she added, "It's peaceful here."

"Yeah." Haine remarked. "It is."

For a moment both girls just stood there speechless, arms leaning over the rails, eyes fixated on the world beyond their line of sight . . . and then they heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?"

Both Nataki and Haine spun around quickly, only to find a boy with ghostly white hair and dark brown eyes staring at them with a slightly amused look on his face.

"Of course, it doesn't compare to the lovely reddish orange glow on the water during sunset."

"Who are _you_?" Haine lashed out, slightly annoyed by the stranger's presence.

"I am many things." He replied somewhat nonchalantly while looking at both of them, his eyes lingering and narrowing a bit upon meeting Nataki's worried gaze. "To many different people."

"What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?" Haine spat, growing increasingly perturbed.

Chuckling darkly, the boy approached them both. "Well, how about I make it simpler for you?" Crossing his arms in front of his chest he added, "You may call me Bakura."

Nataki's eyes widened slightly. _Where I have heard that name before? _She wondered. Then, recalling conversations she had with Yugi and the rest of the gang during lunchtime at school, she made the connection.

"I haven't seen Bakura-kun in school lately . . ." Yugi had said, a look of concern on his face.

"I know." Honda agreed. "He's always doing disappearing on us."

"Bakura?" Nataki recalled wondering.

"Oh, he's a friend of ours." Anzu said softly. "He's in our class, although he hasn't been lately . . ."

"I hope everything is okay." Yugi continued with his train of thought.

Coming back into the present Nataki asked, "Do you by chance know Mutou, Yugi?" Her tone was cautious.

The boy's lips twitched slightly upward into a rather unkind-looking smile. "Yes."

"Nat, what are you doing?" Haine gasped, her eyes looking over at her accusingly. "Don't talk to this guy – he looks like a weirdo."

"But Haine-chan, if _Yugi-kun _knows him then . . ."

Hazel eyes shot the boy a disapproving look, and he didn't seem intimidated by it the least. "I don't care. Something's not right about him." She retorted, her hands clenching at her sides while she sort of stood in front of Nataki defensively.

When the boy named Bakura proceeded to take a few steps closer Haine narrowed her eyes. "Stay back!"

"Relax girl." He said darkly. "I just came to deliver a message to your raven-haired friend, here."

As he continued to step closer, Haine stood her ground and flexed her arms out in front of Nataki protectively.

"A message?" Nataki exclaimed, attempting to take a step forward, but Haine didn't let her.

"Stay back, Nat!" She yelled.

"But Haine-chan-"

Bakura started cackling, the sound reverberating around them in a haunting melody. "Quite the protector you have." He said to Nataki, his voice dripping with venom as his laughter died down. "As I was saying, I have a message for you, a warning – one I suggest you don't take lightly, mind you." Smiling wickedly he added, "I don't know what fate has in store for _you_, but it will _not_ interfere with the fates of Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba." Narrowing his eyes more intensely, his voice acute, he added, "Or there will be _grave_ consequences."

_Fate? _Nataki's heart sunk in her chest. _He knows about Yugi-kun and Kaiba-san being on the mural? _Then, a chilling thought spiraled trough her.

_Wait . . . he knows that somehow Akana-san and I are connected to them?_

Haine saw that his words, although making little sense to _her_, had seriously freaked Nataki out – her face a now somewhat paler color, her hands shaking a bit at her sides.

"How _dare_ you threaten her!" Haine growled. "I'll make you eat those words you son of a bitch!"

Dark brown eyes were piercing as they gazed over at Haine. "You're getting on my nerves, girl." He seethed while reaching inside the pocket of his pants, retrieving a deck of Duel Monsters cards. "I think it's about time I shut you up."

"_I'm_ getting on _your_ nerves?"Anger filling Haine, threatening to consume her entirely. "_You're_ getting on _mine_." Haine shot back while spitting at the ground near his feet. "Step aside!" Turning toward Nataki, who seemed a bit terrified by what was going on she began anew. "Come on, kid. We gotta split." Grasping Nataki's hand firmly in her own, Haine started to run forward, pulling Nataki along with her. When she tried to go around him, Bakura grasped onto her arm.

"Let go of me, you creep!" Haine hissed while yanking away from him, but his grip was relentless and only clenched harder.

"Let her go!" Nataki shouted while pushing him backward, causing him to recoil.

"Heh, so you _do_ have some fight in you." He smirked. "Regardless, it's _futile. _You're not leaving, because I'm far from done."

"We'll see about that." Haine shot an indignant look at Bakura while reaching into her tote bag.

_What is she . . .? _Nataki thought.

Sure enough in a matter of seconds, she had retrieved her own deck of cards. "I'll duel your ass into submission." Letting go of Nataki's hand while approaching Bakura she added, "And then kindly take our leave."

_Haine-chan . . ._

While her words felt indomitable, Nataki couldn't shake the unsettled feeling rising up inside her upon noticing the devious grin of challenge on Bakura's face.

"We'll see how long you hold to that conviction when I'm through with you." He retaliated.

All of the sudden, a golden, ring-like object appeared on his chest. In the middle was a triangular shape with what appeared to be an eye.

_Just like Yugi-kun's puzzle! _Nataki gasped, but no audible sound could be heard.

The ring started to glow, a blinding light emanating from it that soon ushered in what appeared to be purplish haze. The ominous clouds started to engulf the three of them, and Nataki could feel a bone-chilling, heavy darkness settle around her.

_What __**is**__ this? _She thought in horror as she gazed at Haine, with a look on her face that seemed to suggest she was wondering the same thing.

Slowly, Bakura came back into view, the ring still bearing an uneasy glow, but much more dimly now. He was wearing a sinister smile, and the white strands of hair seemed to be more jagged, two in particular standing up from his head like horns. "Heh heh heh" He chuckled, each syllable sounding more perverse than the last. "Welcome to _my_ world . . ." Outstretching his arms as if to gesture at the ghastliness around them. "The world of the _Shadow Games._"

* * *

**A/N**: I hope you enjoyed the beach outing! :D I hope it was a happy and cheesy and you were hoping! lol It is pretty much the last "light-hearted" event to happen . . . and now the darker stuff!

An appearance by Yami no Bakura (finally!) There's actually a reason he hasn't "openly" made his presence known, and that will be revealed soon. He also won't be a major character in the fic (again, you'll find out soon why!)

Also, I created a new poll on my profile (which I hope you will all take a look at!)

As always . . . I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! xD (But you already know that haha)


	37. The Shadow Game

_The Shadow Games? _

Nataki cringed upon feeling the presence of malice surrounding her, masked by the purple fog. Her eyes scanned the area in search of some space around them unsullied by the evil, but to no avail. Turning her attention to Haine, who was tense and on the defense, she felt the compulsion to try speaking to that boy again. _Maybe we can still reason with him. _She thought while glancing over at Bakura warily. His eyes were truly terrifying – gleaming with the most sick satisfaction upon noticing her and Haine's worried expressions. _He's **enjoying** this . . ._

"Listen, you _creep_!" Haine shouted, her voice cracking from the strain of each syllable. "I don't _who_ you are, and quite frankly I don't care. But you owe us an explanation – where the _hell_ are we?"

Bakura's answer was a loud, foreboding cackle that seemed to echo throughout the purple haze around them.

"_Answer_ me!" Haine almost screamed, her emotions becoming more unbridled by the minute.

"I _told_ you." He began as his laughter finally settled into his throat. "We're in a Shadow Game."

"And what the hell is _that_?" She countered.

Smirking, Bakura trailed his fingers over the ring-like necklace, which was still emitting a disconcerting glow, although dimmer than before. "A contest of sorts." Casually he continued, "In which the loser must suffer a harsh _Penalty_ _Game_."

_Penalty Game? _Nataki could feel her blood curdle – not knowing _what_, exactly such a game entailed, but somehow sensing the true danger behind it. "You won't get away with this!" She exclaimed, her eyes glaring at Bakura with as much intensity as she could muster considering the circumstances. "Someone is going to see this and call the cops!"

He shot Nataki an amused look. "Heh heh, you misunderstand." Outstretching his arms, as if gesturing to the space around them, which was engulfed in the ungodly purple murkiness he added, "We're not at the _pier_ anymore, but rather a dimension that evil spirits and demons call _home_."

"Ridiculous!" Haine interjected suddenly. "You can't _honestly_ expect me to believe that we're in _hell_ right now."

Bakura smiled and it made Nataki's stomach twist into knots. "Believe what you will. It doesn't change a thing." Holding his deck up in the air he proceeded with, "The nature of our contest will be more than just a mere duel. It is going to be a battle of wills." Staring at Haine intently he began anew. "You believe you are capable of defeating me?"

Haine narrowed her eyes in challenge, feeling Nataki's fearful gaze piercing through her. "I _know_ I am."

Bakura smirked. "Your arrogance precedes your ability, and you'll see that soon enough." Pointing toward the deck of cards clenched in her grasp he continued, "Our game will be simple. You select one monster from your deck. It can be any monster, even one that generally requires sacrifices or other special requirements."

Haine seemed unconvinced. "So how the hell is that even a contest? If my monster has more attack points, I win."

"I wasn't finished explaining." He taunted, wiggling a finger in the air. "My, my you're in _such_ a hurry to lose."

"Haine-chan . . ." Nataki's voice was shaking, much like the rest of her body at this point. "I can help you-"

"No!" She retorted rather abruptly, which caused Nataki to flinch. "I've got this Nat, so stay back."

"But Haine-chan!"

Turning on her heel a bit Haine looked over at her with the kind of determination that's unshakable. Sensing Nataki's uneasiness she forced out a small smile. "I'll be fine." Returning her attention to Bakura, who was staring impatiently she began anew. "So what? I just pick a card and believe it's strong enough to beat yours?"

"No. You select a card and hope _your_ _will_ to defeat _me_ is stronger than _my_ _will_ to destroy _you_." He said, his words dripping with venom. "I've already selected my monster."

Haine saw the backside of the single card situated between his index and middle finger and bit her lip as if trying to consider what it could be. She knew, of course, it could be anything. "Tch, whatever." Fanning out her cards in front of her, Haine skimmed through them. Her face looked pensive, as if she knew the gravity of the situation and the urgency behind her selection. But she did her best to remain confident and composed on the outside, if nothing more, for Nataki's sake. After making her selection, she removed the card from her deck.

"Okay, now what?" She inquired.

"Now we summon them." Holding the card up in front of him, Bakura smirked. "Come forth, Diabound Kernel!"

Almost instantaneously, the card in his hand began to shine brightly, and within seconds the duel monster appeared in front of him. Its body looked formidable, and its snake tail snapped and hissed at Haine from across the field, which was really just empty space dividing her and Bakura.

"What the . . . ?" Haine queried. "How did you get that thing to be materialized without a duel disk?"

Chuckling darkly Bakura replied, "Oh I assure you that my Diabound Kernel is _no_ hologram." As if on cue, the monster sent a shock wave in Haine and Nataki's direction, causing them both to take a few steps backward due to the force. "He's as real as _you_ and _I_."

"That's ridiculous!" Haine spat. "They're just cards!"

"Real monsters . . ." Nataki's eyes seemed petrified as she remembered Akana's explanation of the game.

"_The monsters on the cards are said to have been based off **real** monsters."_

Gazing at Bakura, she wondered if he knew just as much about the Egyptian history behind the game as Akana did. Even _more_ disconcerting was the thought that _maybe_ he was involved in it somehow.

_Truthfully, I've never seen that monster before, so I have no idea what it's capable of._ Haine thought while staring it down. _Then again, he **did** say that it wasn't so much **attack** **points **but rather **willpower** that would win this game, and God knows I've got **that** . . . _"Whatever!" Haine retorted finally. "I'm still gonna kick your ass!"

"Be careful, Haine-chan!" Nataki exclaimed. Truth be told, she had never seen it before _either_, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was _very_ dangerous.

"Alright then, I summon one of my favorite monsters!" Raising her hand up into the air confidently she continued, "Come on out, Flame Cerebrus!"

In a flash, a reddish light shone from her card and appeared in the shape of a three-headed canine looking creature before her. It snarled and snapped its mouth at the air in front of it, saliva dripping down near its paws. Nataki's eyes widened slightly at the ferocious beast standing before her friend. It looked like it could rip Bakura's monster to shreds, and God knows she hoped it would. "Good choice, Haine-chan!" She shouted.

"How fitting." Bakura sneered. "To have one of hell's gatekeepers grace our humble field of battle."

Haine smirked. "I thought so, too." Staring Bakura down from across the field, she proceeded with,"Alright Flame Cerebrus! Singe the crap out of Bakura's monster! Insufferable Inferno!"

Nataki watched in a sort of morbid fascination as Haine's monster practically lit itself ablaze with a roar and engulfed the entire field in a fury of fire. Shortly after, Bakura's monster was completely out of sight, barricaded in an unholy onslaught of flames. "Heh, I told you I'd win." She asserted indignantly.

Suddenly, the snake trail of Diabound Kernel emerged from a massive flame and locked it's jaw around the middle neck of Haine's Flame Cerberus. A mixture of surprise and horror filled her, and she imagined Nataki's face reflecting similar feelings. _There's no way . . ._ With a quick motion, the snake tail had rendered one of the three heads of the beast immobile. When the other two heads tried to bite at it, the remainder of Diabound's body, which looked virtually unharmed, emerged from the flames.

"_Your_ will to defeat me is strong, I'll admit." Bakura said with an eerie look on his face. Licking his lips he added, "But I'm afraid _my_ will to defeat you is _stronger_. Diabound Kernel, destroy her Flame Cerberus and her will to fight along with it – Death Spiral!"

A blast of magic formed between the monster's hands and almost immediately, Haine's monster began to fade into nothingness. In a matter of seconds it had completely disappeared, leaving Haine's side of the field empty, and the look of confidence in her eyes shattered.

"Impossible!" She shouted. Falling to her knees she couldn't stop the shame from rising up inside her. "Flame Cerberus didn't even leave a mark on his monster!" Her hands began to tremble and she used every last ounce of restraint to not throw herself into a fit of rage, sprint over to Bakura, and rip his head off.

"Haine-chan!" Nataki exclaimed while rushing over to her side, coming to a kneel beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Was all she offered as a reply, lying point blank. She averted Nataki's gaze and brushed off her legs.

The sound of Bakura's twisted laughter filled the air around them as his monster disappeared from the field. "And now, as the loser of this battle you must endure a Penalty Game." While walking toward them, the ring necklace began to shine brightly.

"Stay back!" Nataki shouted while positioning herself between him and Haine just as Bakura's hand reached for her.

"Nat, don't!" Haine yelled while pushing her out of his reach.

With a THUD Nataki hit the ground. Proceeding to get back on her feet, she found herself blinded by an intense flash of golden light that seemed to engulf Haine and Bakura.

"Haine-chan!" Nataki cried.

Seconds later the light dissipated, revealing Haine lying unconscious on the ground, and Bakura standing over top of her.

_No . . ._

"Haine-chan!" Nataki yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping she would open her eyes. Collapsing onto the ground beside her, she proceeded to cradle Haine's limp body against her. Again and again Nataki tried to rouse her, make her open her eyes, but she just couldn't.

_No!_

Tears fell from her eyes like rain, and she wasn't able choke back the sob that had rose up from inside her.

_NO!_

"What have you _done_?!" Nataki shrieked while glaring up at him. "Answer me!"

"She's been dealt a Penalty Game." He stated flatly, completely devoid of any sympathy. "Your _friend_ misjudged her own abilities, and assumed her confidence would reinforce her will to win, but as you can see . . . one must have much more than _that_ to win a Shadow Game."

Smirking as he stared down at Haine's seemingly lifeless body he continued, "Her confidence is being consumed by the shadows as we speak, and with it her will to live . . ."

"_What_?!" Nataki gasped. Looking down at Haine, who was still unconscious, she felt her fear and anguish for her friend begin to spiral into anger.

Cackling he continued, "Soon she'll be nothing but a _corpse_."

"Never!" Nataki shouted indignantly. "I won't let you do that to her!"

Ignoring her, Bakura proceeded to turn on his heel and leave, but Nataki ran in front of him, blocking his path. He raised an eyebrow.

"You would _honestly_ stand in my way?" A sinister smile forming as his lips curved upward he added, "Even after witnessing what I'm capable of?"

The words hit Nataki hard, but she was relentless as she grasped hold of the fabric of his shirt. "I'm _not_ letting you leave until you undo whatever you did to her!"

"You mean what _you_ did to her?"

Nataki's eyes widened. _What did he . . . ?_

Chuckling in amusement, he removed her hands from his shirt and opted to secure them in his grasp, despite her attempts to break free. "That's right." Eyes teeming with darkness he continued, "The whole reason she got into this situation is because she felt the need to protect _you._"

As he squeezed her hands tightly, Nataki started to hear a few muted cracks, and then she felt it . . . pain – acute and undeniable. "Let _go_ of me!" She shouted. _It hurts. _But he only squeezed harder. "Stop!"

"It hurts, doesn't it? Knowing that you're the reason she's lying unconscious, enduring the psychological warfare of the Penalty Game!" He was laughing like a madman now, and Nataki felt sick inside.

_I . . ._

Wincing through the pain, she tried to deny the truth of his words. But as she stared fixedly at Haine's limp form on the cold ground, it became harder for her to convince herself that it _wasn't_ her fault.

_She was trying to protect me. _

Her dark blue eyes became more solemn as the realization hit her.

_Just like she always does._

Instead of fighting back against him, Nataki felt herself losing her fortitude as her guilt bubbled up inside of her and began to weigh her down, like an anchor dragging her down by her very soul.

_Because I'm weak._

"You know, instead of trusting that you'll heed my warning . . ." Releasing her hands, Bakura proceeded to grab her by the throat. "I _could_ just end you here and now . . ."

But before he was able to commit to the idea, a sudden flash of golden light shot through his chest, causing him to fall to the ground gasping, releasing Nataki in the process. She remained on the ground for a moment, not quite sure what was transpiring, but before she could react she saw him sprinting off into the distance as intensely bright, almost arrow-shaped waves of light flew into him, causing him to curse in pain. "You've been warned!" He hissed before disappearing from sight.

Nataki didn't know what had just happened, but all at once she began to cry – loudly, uninhibited – as she clutched at her chest. She didn't even look up when she heard footsteps approaching her to see who had come to what she _hoped_ was her rescue – honestly, she didn't care. Her friend was suffering, and she could do nothing about it. When she felt gentle arms enclose around her in a comforting manner, she finally peered up to see her protector. Akana was knelt down beside her, a look of concern washed over her face.

"Are you alright, Nataki-san?" She asked, her voice a bit shaken up. "Are you hurt?"

"Akana-san . . ." Nataki half spoke, half sobbed. "Haine-chan is . . ." She couldn't bring herself to say it, but Akana glanced over in Haine's direction. She had a grave look on her face as she returned her attention to Nataki, her golden eyes gazing empathetically as she reached for her hands. Upon noticing Nataki wince in pain, she sighed softly.

"It'll be alright." Akana whispered gently while wrapping her hands around Nataki's. Then, without a second thought, Akana had began whispering something in a foreign tongue, which Nataki felt pretty sure was Egyptian (for reasons unbeknownst to her). A moment later Akana's hands were glowing a soft golden hue, and Nataki began to feel her own somewhat injured hands tingling from the contact.

"Akana-san . . ." She breathed, the ache disappearing from her hands in a matter of seconds.

While Akana didn't answer her, she began to carefully massage Nataki's hands. After a minute more, she stopped speaking and the light disappeared. She smiled faintly. "How do they feel?"

Nataki cautiously started wiggling her fingers and turning her wrists. Much to her surprise, there was no pain. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Forcing an appreciative smile she added, "Thank you."

Akana nodded. "Of course."

"But Haine-chan . . ." Nataki repeated while heading over to where her friend's seemingly lifeless body lay. Kneeling down beside her, she continued, "Akana-san, can you help her?" Her dark blue eyes pleading.

Soon enough, Akana was by her side checking Haine for a pulse and other indications that she was still, in fact, alive. With a sigh of relief she stated, "Suzude-san _is_ alive, but for how long I'm not sure."

Nataki's mouth stood agape in horror. "What do you mean?" Gazing down at her once lively, rambunctious friend she continued, "She's going to be okay, right?" When Akana didn't answer right away Nataki's voice cracked. "_Right_?"

Akana seemed thoughtful for a moment as if considering the best way to handle the current situation. "Personally, _I've_ had very minimal experience counteracting the magic involved with the Shadow Games, especially the Penalty Games that follow." Placing her hand on Haine's forehead she proceeded with, "And typically only those in possession of the Millennium Items are able to initiate Shadow Games." With a somewhat solemn expression she added, "So as much as I wish I could help her, I believe we should seek out someone who is more acquainted with this type of magic."

"So you can't save her?" Nataki rose to her feet and almost lost her footing and toppled onto the ground.

"No, not alone." Pursing her lips thoughtfully she added, "But I know _someone_ who can most likely help us." She tried, her voice soft. "We must hurry though. I don't know how much longer Suzude-san will be able to endure whatever that . . . _boy_ did to her." Emphasizing the word 'boy' as if it was masking something far more dangerous. Gesturing to Haine's limp form she began anew, "I'll carry her. You lead the way to Kame Game Shop."

_The Kame Game Shop? _Nataki wondered briefly. _Does she think that Yugi-kun will . . . ?_

Nataki was about to ask why, but she knew there wasn't much time for questions. Reacting quickly, she broke into a sprint, determined to get there as soon as possible. "It's this way!" She shouted, only to see that Akana was keeping up with her easily enough despite carrying Haine in her arms. Clenching her eyes shut in an effort to prevent more tears from spilling out, Nataki felt her heart aching with remorse.

_Just hang in there, Haine-chan. _

Bolting across a few intersections her mind was racing, the thought of never seeing Haine open her eyes again stabbing into her with every step.

_Please. _

* * *

**A/N: **And with this chapter brings forth the darkness of the Yu-Gi-Oh! verse - the Shadow Games! It also ushers in the darker mood for the fanfic for the upcoming chapters as well.

. . . and I left it off on a cliffhanger because I'm evil xD


	38. Save Haine!

The inside of the Kame Game Shop was pitch black, Nataki could see the faint glow of a desk lamp could be seen coming from a bedroom window above it, which she hoped was Yugi's. She knew that he lived above the store with his grandfather and mother, although she had never actually seen his living quarters. Setting down both her and Haine's beach luggage, Nataki proceeded to reach inside her tote bag and retrieve her cell phone. Hastily, she dialed Yugi's number and prayed that he would answer.

_Hopefully he hasn't gone to sleep yet. _Turning her head, Nataki gazed at Haine, who was still lying completely motionless in Akana's arms, which made a lump form in her throat. _Regardless, we __**need**__ his help, and __**fast**__._

"Hello?" His voice sounded through the phone.

_He answered! _"Hi Yugi-kun."

"Oh, hi Nataki-chan." He replied, although he sounded a bit sleepy. "Is everything okay? You usually don't call this late."

Nataki bit her bottom lip. She had no idea _what_ time it was, but she what she did know was that her and Akana were running out of time. and they needed to act fast. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that." She continued, clutching her phone more tightly. "But I sort of need your help."

"Okay, no problem!" Yugi didn't hesitate to respond upon sensing the urgency in Nataki's voice. "Do you want me to come over or . . .?"

"Actually, we're sort of outside the game shop right now . . ."

_We?_ He thought while proceeding over toward his window. Much to his surprise, he saw Nataki standing there with her cell phone pressed to her ear, and Akana standing beside her. He gasped upon noticing that she was holding an unconscious girl in her arms. _That almost looks like . . .! _

"Yes, I see you." He replied finally while tiptoeing out of his bedroom and down the stairs. "I'll let you in. Hold on a sec."

When Nataki saw Yugi's shadowy figure disappear from the window and reappear on the other side of the door to the game shop she could breathe a tad easier. Slowly, he unlocked the door and opened it while gesturing for her and Akana to come inside. "What's going on?" He asked, concern coursing through his violet eyes. "Is that Suzude-san?"

Nataki nodded. "Yes, something _terrible_ has happened . . ." But before she attempted to convey what had transpired at the pier, Akana interjected.

"From what I've gathered, Suzude-san engaged in a Shadow Game and suffered some sort of Penalty Game as a consequence of losing." The gaze from her eyes bearing down on the Millennium Puzzle hanging around Yugi's neck with a mixture of curiosity and contempt for the magic it possessed.

"Did you say a _Shadow_ _Game_?" Yugi gasped. "How is that possible? Only people who have a millennium item can challenge someone to such a game."

Nataki's hands began to tremble at her sides, the memory of the boy who had called himself Bakura emblazoned in her mind along with his maniacal laughter and wicked gaze. "He said his name was Bakura." Yugi's eyes became noticeably wider upon hearing the name and she continued, "He was wearing some sort of ring-like object around his neck."

_The Millennium Ring . . ._ Yugi looked down at his feet, trying to mask his own fears over the powers it held, but remembering all too well _what_ it was capable of, as well as the person wearing it. _So the evil spirit inside the ring must have taken over Bakura again . . . _"Did he say anything about the Penalty Game?"

Nataki nodded, tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. "H-He said that Haine-chan's confidence was being _shattered_ . . ." Gazing over at her still lifeless friend she proceeded to say "And that soon, her _will_ _to live_ would disappear, and she would be _nothing_ but a _corpse_!" Nataki fell to the ground as a heavy sob consumed her, causing both Yugi and Akana to attempt consoling her.

"Don't cry, Nataki-chan." He offered while grabbing a box of tissues and handing it to her. Kneeling down beside her he added, "We'll figure something out, I promise."

"Yes." Akana agreed. "I am sure of it."

"Really?" She forced out between sobs.

Akana nodded. "But we need to hurry." Glancing at Yugi she added, "Do you have a place where I can set Suzude-san down?"

"Ah, of course!" Yugi replied sheepishly. "You can set her down on my bed. Please, follow me."

Carefully, the three made their way up the stairs to Yugi's bedroom. Shutting the door behind him, careful not to wake his mother or grandfather, Yugi gestured for Akana to set Haine down onto his bed, which she did so with care.

"Mutou-san . . ." Akana began. "I believe your . . . 'other self' would best be able to assist us."

"Well, he _would_ know more about the power of the millennium items." He replied softly. _And he **has** dueled Bakura before . . ._ "Okay, I'll get him."

Nataki and Akana watched as the puzzle around his neck began to shine with a bright golden light. In an instant, it had enveloped him, only to reveal the man who had been referred to by others as Yami who, although his resembled Yugi, presence gave off a _very_ different vibe. Slowly opening his eyes, revealing irises that were more scarlet than violet now, Yami gazed over at Nataki and Akana curiously. "Yugi mentioned that your friend has suffered a Penalty Game?" He queried as if checking to make sure he had his facts straight.

_Yugi-kun must have told him before he let him take over . . . _Nataki felt a bit unsettled as she felt his gaze upon her. She had only met him once, and _not_ under the best of circumstances by any means. Her mind flickered back to the incident at the museum before quickly returning to the situation at hand. Sensing her unease, Akana spoke up.

"Yes." Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully, demonstrating a rather nonchalant demeanor despite only having met him once. "I'm assuming that, because you _yourself_ possess a millennium item, it may be possible to counteract the effects of another one. . ." She continued while gesturing to Haine's body on the bed. "And in doing so, save Suzude-san."

"I see." His voice was thoughtful, his expression serious. "Truthfully, I don't know as much as I'd like to about the power my Millennium Puzzle holds."

Upon hearing this Nataki's eyes suddenly grew darker and more solemn.

"However, I'm sure we can figure _something_ out." He added. "So don't worry . . . Nataki, was it?"

She blinked and nodded. "Yes."

"Yugi speaks highly of you." He continued with a small smile before turning his head to face Akana, who was standing tall with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "And of you as well, Akana."

Her lips curved upward into a small smile. "I may be able to assist you Yami-san." Akana said suddenly, causing both him and Nataki to glance over at her curiously. "I _am_ well-versed in the ways of light magic."

Yami shot her a pensive look as if considering the potential support her magic could provide. "And what does it entail?"

"Many things." Akana replied flatly. "But my specialty is creating illusions." Turning to look down at Haine's limp form she continued "My thinking is that I can use _my_ magic to prevent any further damage to befall Suzude-san, while _you_ find a way to negate the Penalty Game using _your_ abilities."

"I see." Yami stated calmly. "Well, it's definitely worth trying." Casting a quick glance in both of their directions, he seemed resolved. "Alright. Akana, would you come with me please?" He asked while gesturing to the bed where Haine lay unconscious.

"What can _I_ do?" Nataki inquired.

Akana shook her head gently while settling down beside Haine on the bed. "Nothing, sweetie." Upon noticing the crestfallen look claim Nataki's face she felt the need to revoke her previous reply. "Other than keep watch for us. Make sure no one comes in here while we're using our magic."

"Okay." _So basically, I'm useless._

Suddenly, the Millennium Puzzle around Yami's neck began to shine brightly, and the same eye in the middle of the puzzle appeared as an illuminated symbol on his forehead. "I'm going to enter her mind and attempt to negate the effects of the Penalty Game." He stated flatly before turning to face Akana. "Akana, please do whatever possible to prevent the girl from succumbing to the shadows while I do so."

"Will do." Within seconds, Akana's eyes were glowing a vivid golden hue. While placing her hand on both sides of Haine's face, Akana seemed to be transferring her light into Haine's body.

"Okay." He said calmly while closing his eyes, while the magical eye on his forehead seemed to burn even brighter.

A moment later the room was engulfed in a eerie silence, and Nataki found herself pacing back and forth in front of the door, which she had locked as a precautionary measure. Both Akana and Yami seemed in some sort of trance-like state as the magic they were using emanated from them in slow, but steady streams into Haine's body. Nataki couldn't help feeling a bit out of sorts while watching, remembering Akana's words about how magic itself was not innately good or bad, but rather determined as such by the user.

_Bakura used his magic for evil reasons, but Akana-san and Yami-san are using their magic for good . . ._

Stopping her pacing, Nataki looked down at the palms of her hands.

_If I'm involved in the same destiny as Akana-san, does that mean __**I**__have magic inside of __**me**__, too?_

As she continued her train of thought, the feelings of guilt became unrelenting as they raged inside her.

_If I **do**, then maybe . . ._

Gazing over at Haine who, despite Yami and Akana's' efforts to save her, had given no indication of any salvation from the magic of Bakura's Penalty Game plaguing her.

_Just maybe . . . I could have **saved** her._

Tears stung her as they fell freely from her eyes, and she fell to her knees on the floor.

_Yami-san and Akana-san are doing everything possible to save you, Haine-chan. But I can only stand here and watch because **I'm** **weak**!_

Remembering Haine's words of advice about getting tougher, Nataki did her best to swallow the sadness, contain it inside of her.

_You can't protect me forever, Haine-chan. _Nataki clenched her jaw, feeling her sadness turn into anger, and from the ashes of anger came resolve, like a phoenix poised to take flight._ Because I need to learn how to protect **myself**. And then, only then, can I hope to protect **others** . . . to protect **you**._

* * *

After about ten minutes of stressful waiting, Nataki was able to breath as both Yami and Akana stopped emitting magic and had returned to their normal appearances. Once their magic had completely tapered off, they looked at Nataki, who had returned to holding her breath in an effort to brace herself for what they were going to say.

"Well?" She inquired, her dark eyes longing for a positive outcome. _**Please**__ say she's going to be okay._

Yami sighed deeply. "We were able to save your friend." Clutching the puzzle in his hand tightly he added, "But it wasn't easy. The Shadow Games are not a force to be reckoned with." Clenching his hand into a fist, he tried not let his anger turn volatile, but found it difficult _not_ to recall all of the heartache and suffering Yugi and his friends had been put through as a repercussion of that ancient, dark magic under the control of evil people.

"Oh thank _God_!" She exclaimed while practically flinging herself at Yami, who looked a little less than surprised by the gesture. "Thank you so much, Yami-san!" As quickly as she had embraced him she had pulled back only to repeat the gesture with Akana. "Thank you, Akana-san!" A few happy tears escaped her. "Words can't describe my gratitude!"

"Of course, Nataki-san." Akana replied softly while combing her fingers through a few raven strands. "Suzude-san should wake up soon, I would think." Glancing over at Yami briefly before returning her attention to Nataki she added, "Would you mind staying here to watch her while I step out for a moment?"

"No, of course not." Nataki replied, not giving Akana's impromptu desire to leave a second thought. "I'll let you know when she comes to."

"Thank you." She replied while proceeding out the door with Yami following after her. With a slight CLICK, the door shut behind them.

* * *

**~Akana~**

Walking down the staircase effortlessly despite the darkness, Akana listened to Yami's footsteps as he followed behind her. Once she reached the foot of the stairs she headed over toward the window. Gazing outside at the darkness, she remained speechless until he finally spoke up.

"Your plan worked well." Yami stated calmly.

"I imagined it might . . ." She replied, her voice practically a whisper as if reminding him to keep his down, lest they wake Yugi's grandfather or mother.

"Yes, well you seemed quite . . . knowledgeable about not only _your_ abilities, but also those of my _puzzle_." He continued, his tone a bit more sharp despite lowering his voice.

_I can see where this is going, and I suppose it's not unwarranted, but . . . _Turning on her heel, she raised an eyebrow as she looked over at him. To her surprise, there wasn't as much distance between them as she had imagined. "Are you . . . going somewhere with this conversation?" She inquired, an expression of piqued interest on her face.

He hesitated a tad longer before finally asking point blank, "Who _are_ you, Akana?" A pause. "And how are you so skilled in the ways of magic?"

Smirking as if amused she replied, "You've asked some rather . . . loaded questions." _And I'm afraid I can't tell you __**everything**__, at least not all at once, my pharaoh. _

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he sighed tiredly. "I've been wondering these things since the incident at the museum weeks ago . . ." Approaching her a bit more he continued, "I think it's fair to say that your presence here in Domino City is needed, but for what reasons?" Clutching his puzzle he added, "And what does it have to do with _me_?"

Combing back a few golden strands, Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully. "While I do plan to answer your questions, I'm afraid now isn't the time or place." Sensing his frustration she added, "The information I would be disclosing to you would be beneficial for _all_ parties involved in this . . . intersecting of destinies, so to speak, to hear and discuss. _Even though it may be difficult for me to be civil with __**him**__. _

"You mean Kaiba?" The question was blunt, and received a mere nod from Akana. "Fair enough, but it has to be soon."

"I agree." She said calmly. "But Nataki-san will want to be sure Suzude-san is fine before leaving her side, even for a minute."

"Understandable." He nodded. Then, he remained quiet for a moment as if considering whether not to push the questioning anymore. Finally opting to take a shot in the dark he asked, "How much do you know about _my_ past?"

A sad smile claimed her face suddenly. "Much more than I'm able to share freely with you, I'm afraid."

"I thought you so." Yami replied after a brief hesitation. "You just have this . . . incredibly insightful presence." Returning the smile he continued, "It's almost as if your eyes have seen far more than one could possibly imagine."

Akana merely smirked. _You have __**no**__ idea._

Suddenly, the sound of Yugi's bedroom door being opened slowly captured both their attention. A few seconds later, Nataki's head emerged from the visible crack in the entrance way to the room.

"Akana-san! Yami-san! Come quickly!" She whispered. "I think Haine-chan is waking up!"

After gesturing that they would be up in a minute, Akana returned her attention to Yami, who seemed a bit unsatisfied with the way their conversation had ended. Still, she could tell he was glad to see that Haine was coming to, and much quicker than he had anticipated. Just as Yami was about to head up the staircase Akana reached for his arm.

"You will know all you need to know soon." Was all she offered him as she ascended the stairs, leading the way toward Yugi's bedroom. _Atem._

* * *

**A/N**: Lots going on in this chapter - Haine almost slipping into the darkness, Nataki coming to terms with what she needs to do in order to prevent this sort of situation from ever happening again, and Yami's restlessness regarding who the heck the two girls are and how they're involved in his destiny stuffz. And a reminder that Akana is pretty much the one character who knows the most xD

Looking forward to your thoughts/reactions, and as always, thanks for you continued support! :)


	39. The Next Step

Seating herself beside Haine, who seemed to be coming to, Nataki felt a wave of relief crash over her. _She's going to be okay._ Her voice echoed in her mind. _Haine-chan is going to be okay._

She turned her head toward the doorway to the bedroom and noticed Akana and Yami stealthily stepping inside. They approached the bed with caution and gazed down at Haine, and a moment or two later, the sound of her voice broke through the silence.

"What the . . . ?" Haine inquired, her voice sounding more groggy than anything. The first thing she noticed was Nataki staring at her intently, but as she looked around she saw that Akana and Yami were there too, although standing back a bit. Turning her head from side to side slowly, Haine gazed at her surroundings with a baffled look on her face. "Where _am_ I?"

"Haine-chan!" Nataki exclaimed while reaching for her. Within seconds, she had Haine locked into a tight embrace.

"Sheesh, chill out kid." She offered with a smile while accepting the hug. "Well, is anyone going to answer me?"

"You're in my bedroom." Came Yugi's voice, which was a surprise to Nataki as she looked over at him only to see that he had returned to his usual self.

Haine blinked. "Okay, so I'm sure you can imagine my next question." Narrowing her eyes in scrutiny she added, "_Why_?"

Nataki bit her bottom lip, suddenly realizing that she hadn't given much thought as to _how_ the issue should be handled. _She doesn't remember? _Peering over at Akana momentarily, she wondered if she had something to do with that. Unsure of what to do, Nataki became pensive and stalled a bit. _Well, if she __**doesn't**__ remember what happened, maybe it's for the best. But then what __**do**__ I tell her? _Truthfully, Nataki was positively dreadful at telling lies. She was too transparent to begin with, and Haine was always so perceptive of her. Dark blue eyes peered over at Akana as if looking for an answer. Sure enough, she had it.

"Nataki-san said you two were taking a walk when a suspicious looking man started verbally harassing you both." Staring directly at Haine with an unwavering gaze she continued, "Needless to say, your fiery temper got the better of you, Suzude-san, and you engaged the man in a physical confrontation."

Haine looked pensive, but not completely against the plausibility of the scenario Akana was describing. "Did I kick his ass?" She asked, her eyes glancing at Nataki.

Nataki barely managed a nod before Akana resumed her explanation. The trick to generating a believable lie _is_ in the details, after all. " Yes." She sighed. "But apparently not without having the wind knocked out of you. Nataki-san called me up in tears, distressed by your fatigued and, ultimately unconscious state following the fight. So I met up with her and helped her carry you here."

"Wow." Haine spurted out a bit taken aback by the whole thing. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but why Yugi's house?" Haine asked while peering over at the small, somewhat sleepy-looking boy.

"Well, you see . . ." Nataki tried, but Akana shot her a look to hold her tongue.

"His house was the closest available place to bring you to." Smiling over at Yugi she added, "Your hospitality in our time of need was most appreciated, Mutou-san."

The King of Games returned the smile as his cheeks tinged a delicate red. "It was no trouble at all, really." He admitted. "I'm just glad you're okay, Suzude-san."

"Huh." Was all Haine offered as a response as she soaked up the entire story like a sponge. A strange sense of skepticism crept into her, but she wasn't going to tell them that. Besides, what reason would they have to lie to her? It sounded like something that could have happened easily enough. "Well, I'm sorry I caused so much of a headache for all of you."

"Don't be, Haine-chan." Nataki felt the truth gnawing at her insides, but she forced it down deeper still. "I was just worried. You know me."

A smirk tugged at her lips as she brushed a few raven bangs back from Nataki's face. "Yeah, I do." She said, and all at once Nataki realized the irony of her own words. _But she doesn't __**actually**__ know __me__. _The thought was painful and she tried her best not to show it. _Because truthfully, __**I**__ don't even really know __**me**__ either . . ._

"Well, this has been fun." Haine said with a yawn. "But I'm pretty tired, so if you don't mind I'm going to head on home now." Proceeding to stand up from the bed, she suddenly felt a bit unstable. "Whoah, what gives?"

"You _did_ have the wind knocked out of you not too long ago." Akana reminded her flatly.

"I'll help you, Haine-chan." Nataki offered while reaching out toward Haine for support. "I'll even walk you home."

"Thanks kid." She smirked. "You're a gem."

Golden eyes glanced over Nataki with slight trepidation as if to ask 'Would you like me to come too?' at which Nataki shook her head while following Haine out of the bedroom and down the stairs to retrieve their things. After a polite bow and a handful of 'Thank you's, they were homeward bound.

* * *

The trip was rather quiet with minimal discussion or commentary. To be fair, it was a little after one o'clock in the morning. Every so often a yawn would emerge from either Haine or Nataki, but not much else – both girls being too tired to talk. Nearing the end of their journey, however, Haine stopped walking and set down her tote bag.

"Hey, Nat?"

Coming to a dead stop, Nataki set down her tote bag as well. "Yes, Haine-chan?"

" . . . I'm sorry for all of this."

Turning on her heel, she met Haine's hazel eyes with her own. "What do you mean?"

Shrugging her shoulders she continued, "For making so much trouble for you." With a quick sigh Haine turned her attention to the darkened sky. "I _mean_ well, but sometimes I think I'm just giving you more things to worry about."

Suddenly, Nataki reached for Haine and placed her hands on her shoulders. "You have _nothing_ to apologize for, Haine-chan." With a sincere smile she proceeded with, "You're _always_ looking out for me, making sure _I'm_ okay. If anything . . ." Wrapping her arms around Haine with care she added, "_I_ should be the one apologizing . . . for making _you_ worry about _me_."

Surprised, Haine let a small gasp escape her. After a moment, she regained her composure and returned the gesture, pulling Nataki into a strong embrace. "It's fine, do-do." She teased, her voice light-hearted despite the turn the evening had taken. "I mean, you're like a sister to me . . ." Becoming more playful, she proceeded to pinch Nataki's cheek. "A dopey little sister, but a sister nonetheless, and I take care of my family."

_Haine-chan . . ._ Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes once more, a mixture of immense happiness upon hearing those words, but also wistfulness at realizing it could never be. _That makes me so happy, but being around me will only put you in danger._ So she smiled through the tears as best she could.

"Sheesh, what's with all the waterworks?" Haine teased. "Come on, you're getting me all waterlogged here."

"S-Sorry." Nataki managed while freeing herself from the hug and dabbing her eyes. "I'm just . . . so glad you feel that way about me, Haine-chan." Regaining her composure a bit she added, "You're a wonderful 'big sister.'"

With a smirk Haine chuckled."Well, I suppose we've reached the split in our journey."

"Actually, could I walk you all the way home?"

Haine blinked, her face doing to little to conceal her surprise. "Um, yeah if you want to."

"I do." Nataki nodded while picking up her tote bag.

"Okay, cool." Haine replied while doing the same. After a walking onward a few steps in silence she asked, "Did you see Yugi's pajama pants?"

Nataki raised an eyebrow. Honestly, she was so preoccupied with making sure Haine didn't die that she had paid little (if any) attention to practically everything else around her. "No."

"Really?!" She gawked. "They had little multi-colored _kuribohs_ on them!"

Nataki's cheeks tinged a deep red as she tried to hold in a chuckle. The thought of Yugi wearing clothing of any kind with the little furry ball-like critters on it just seemed too adorable for someone referred to as the 'King' of anything.

"That's totally going to be his new nickname." Haine added, her laughter filling the cool night air, and Nataki smiled, having acquired a whole new appreciation for the sound. "King Kuriboh!"

"I'm sure he'll just _love_ that." Nataki giggled, and relished this small moment between her and Haine. _While I wish things could stay this way, I'll just hold onto these moments . . ._

* * *

Sleep had not come easily to Nataki as memories of the previous day flashed through her mind – the bountiful sunshine and laughter of the beach trip and the heart-stopping hell Bakura had put her and Haine through – leading her to question how both events could have possibly happened the same day, as well as her ability to exist in both worlds simultaneously. The world of the mundane, of mankind was all she had ever known, all she had ever thought existed, but her experiences in Domino over the past couple of months had disproved that theory. She could no longer deny the presence of magic, having seen firsthand what it looked like . . . and how it had almost _killed_ her friend.

Regardless of any inhibitions she still held regarding her thoughts on the matter of magic in and of itself, Nataki knew that she could not avoid coming to terms with whatever fate had in store for her. God knew that if _Akana_ had magic, it seemed plausible to assume that she had some sort of magic coursing through _her_ body, too. And then there was the fact that they had the ka of . . . what had Akana said? The Egyptian God Monsters? The thoughts were grueling, but Nataki's mind was made up – she would hear what Akana and the others had to say and then just deal with it as best she could.

Two texts were waiting for when she finally woke up the next morning – one from Haine stating that she felt fine, and appreciated Nataki walking her home. The second was from Akana.

"Good morning, Nataki-san." It read. "Please give me a call at your earliest convenience. Thanks."

Nataki blinked and stared at the message for a minute or two before setting down her phone on her nightstand. Before opening that foreseeable can of worms (of the magic variety), she opted to text Haine back and then carry out her morning routines first. _She did say at my earliest __**convenience**__, so .__ . . _

Once she was washed up and dressed for the day, she proceeded into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast, although her stomach was still quite uneasy from the events that had transpired less than twelve hours ago. _Nothing even sounds that appealing to me, but I know I should eat __**something**__. _So she finally settled for some oatmeal and resigned herself to a spot on the living room couch to eat her breakfast and watch some mind-numbing cartoons.

Having taken advantage of Akana's word choice in the text message long enough, Nataki retrieved her cell phone and dialed her number. As she would have expected, Akana answered briefly after the first ring.

"Good morning, Nataki-san." She greeted, her voice as congenial as ever. "I hope you were able to catch a few hours of sleep after the rather hectic evening we had."

"Morning, Akana-san." Nataki replied with a yawn while outstretching herself on the couch. "Yes, I was able to get some sleep, though I'm still a bit groggy if I'm being completely honest." Slouching into the cushions a bit she added, "How about you?"

"I feel the same way." Her response sounding empathetic. "How was Suzude-san on the way home?"

"She was fine." Nataki replied as she felt her heart begin to ache. "We had a nice, albeit rather quiet walk back."

"I see." Was all Akana offered initially. "Well, I'm sure she appreciated your thoughtful gesture."

"Me too." Now Nataki felt it was her turn to shift gears. "I never _did_ get a chance to ask you . . ."

"About Suzude-san not remembering anything that happened?"

Nataki stifled a gasp, surprised by Akana's ability to anticipate her train of thought. _Then again, I guess I really shouldn't be – she's always sort had foresight or something._"Yeah." Struggling to find a way to ask without sounding accusatory, Nataki remained silent for a moment. "Did you, um, erase her memories or something?"

"Not exactly." She said coolly. "You see, memories cannot be _discarded_ – even with magic – but rather, can become virtually inaccessible over time." With a slight yawn she added, "I merely buried Suzude-san's memory of the incident behind other, more _compelling_ memories . . ."

"Oh." Nataki's voice conveying a mixture of relief as well as uncertainty. "So it's possible for her to remember what happened?"

"Yes, but highly unlikely." Akana's voice was a soft hum. "The memories she has made with you and the rest of the group at the beach are far more meaningful and prominent, and I buried her feelings of fear and lack of confidence very deeply beneath them."

"I see." Nataki replied sounding a bit more at ease from the explanation. "Well, thank you."

"Of course." A pause. "I spoke with Yami-san last night."

_The spirit trapped inside Yugi-kun's puzzle . . . _"You did?" A pause. "About _what_, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Us, mostly." She said without a hint of hesitation. "And how it is imperative that the four of us discuss how our destinies overlap."

"Right." Nataki sighed. _That was a stupid question for me to ask – I figured it was going to be about that. _"So when do you want to meet?"

"Well, I know this may sound sudden, but I was thinking that perhaps later today?"

_Today?! _

". . . okay."

_I mean, I knew it would be **soon**, but **today**?! _

"Did you check to see if Yugi-kun is free? And Kaiba-san?" Nataki inquired.

"I've already spoken to Mutou-san, and he is available this afternoon." A pause. "I have yet to speak to . . . Kaiba about any of this yet."

The brief, but noticeable change in tone upon mentioning his name did not fall of deaf ears, and Nataki felt the need to offer, "I'll ask him."

"Ah, that's quite alright Nataki-san." Akana tried, but Nataki's response sounded resolute.

"Really, it's no trouble." _It's probably for the best, considering how transparent your dislike of him is, after all._

"Well, if you're sure." Akana half murmured as a reply. "Please let me know either way. In all honesty, he _shouldn't_ be at Kaiba Corporation since it's Sunday, but . . ."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be available." Nataki replied, her thoughts drifting back to how relentless the CEO had been just days before to get answers from her about what had happened at the museum. _Truthfully, he's been wanting this talk for a while._

"Alright. Well, _do_ let me know once you've spoken to him." She said softly. "Talk soon."

After disconnecting Nataki groaned while slouching down even further into the couch cushions. Once her head made contact with the plush material of a pillow she closed her eyes. _I have a feeling this is going to be a __**long**__ day._

* * *

**~Kaiba~**

The CEO sat in his home office – eyes fixated on the screen on his laptop, hands busying themselves on the keyboard – despite the fact that it was Sunday. Truthfully, Kaiba was a workaholic who seemed incapable of leaving his work at Kaiba Corporation. But to be fair, he _was_ the CEO, a position that warranted a great amount of diligence and, ultimately, time. And it wasn't as if he owned the company by a _huge_ percentage (he held just over half of the company's stocks), and had faced numerous attempts by insiders and rival companies to seize his position as the dominant shareholder. Time had taught him how scrupulous one must be in order to stay on top in the business world, that's for sure.

Still, it _was_ Sunday, and just as he had every other Sunday, Kaiba ate breakfast with Mokuba and watched some of the cartoons his little brother loved so much (for reasons unknown to Kaiba), and then played a few games with him (which he generally won, big surprise there). However, there were times when the CEO felt a bit guilty for not spending more quality time with Mokuba, who was already twelve years old and speeding through his elementary school years. Balancing brotherhood and business obligations was difficult, in addition to also taking on the role of father figure . . . but that was why he always reserved Sunday for Mokuba, with very few exceptions.

Sure, he still squeezed in _some_ time to do some work, but Kaiba remained true to his word – he had arranged to take the boy rolling skating later in the afternoon, despite his lackluster attitude about it. _It's important for Mokuba to get out more. _He reminded himself. _Even though I couldn't care less about being 'sociable.' _

The sound of his cell phone vibrating against the solid wood of his desk interrupted his train of thought, causing him to cease his incessant typing. Upon retrieving it he saw that the incoming call was from Nataki.

_Why is she. . . ? _

Shaking his head he decided not to bother wasting time wondering, opting instead to just answer the call. "What is it, Kuzana?" He didn't mean it to come across sounding so . . . blunt, but he really didn't have time spend 'shooting the breeze,' or talking about things that were unimportant – something she seemed to enjoy for some reason.

"Ah, good morning Kaiba-san." Her voice came soft, almost like a whisper. "I'm sorry to bother you on such a lovely Sunday morning . . ."

_But you're going to anyway. _

Clearing his throat he inquired again, "I'm sort of in the middle of something, so if you could just make it quick . . ." Kaiba knew he probably sounded like a jerk, but truthfully he didn't want to give off the impression that he was available to talk to. _God knows she has a list of friends a mile long she could call up to talk to about trivial things . . ._

"Oh, I'm really sorry for interrupting you . . ." Nataki offered, a bit softer. "I don't suppose you'd happen to be available anytime later this afternoon?"

_Is she **deaf**? I just said I didn't have time to talk, so why would I . . . ? _

Kaiba remained speechless for a moment, not quite sure as to why she would ask. He sort of waited for her to elaborate, not wanting to say 'Yes' to something that would be a complete waste of time, but on the other hand . . .

_What if it's something about the museum?_

"I apologize for the short notice, but something came up and Akana-san . . ."

Cobalt eyes widened slightly upon hearing her mention that name. _That's the blonde who came to the museum with her . . . _Mind racing with endless possibilities, but all seeming to point in the direction he sought to go he finally responded. "Yes."

"Really?" Her voice doing little to mask any surprise she felt upon hearing him agree to meet.

"Really." Kaiba's tone was flat, but the anticipation rushing through him at the mere thought of piecing together this puzzle, of understanding _what_ had happened and _how_ it had anything to do with him or Yugi was burning a hole through him. "Time and place?"

Nataki didn't answer right away, and he wasn't sure if it was because she didn't know, or if she was reluctant to tell him for some reason.

"I'm . . . not sure, actually." She admitted, a nervous chuckle half-heartedly escaping her. "But I'll check with Akana-san and get back to you."

"You couldn't have asked her _before_ calling me?" His voice almost a growl out of frustration.

"I should have, you're right." Her reply came sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

Exhaling a bit more loudly than he had meant to Kaiba finally responded. "It's fine." Sensing that his somewhat less than pleased demeanor had caused her to go quiet he added, "Did you have a nice time at the beach?" _And for God's sake **please** don't drone on about it._

The faint gasp he heard on the other side of the conversation told him that she hadn't been expecting him to ask about it. As soon as Kaiba heard her voice, teeming with a shred of happiness, he felt he had made a good choice in asking her. "Yes, it was great! Everyone had a lot of fun."

"Good." The CEO replied, eyes already drifting back to the screen of his laptop. But even as he did so, it was impossible for him to _completely_ disconnect from the conversation, from _her_. While he found it quite odd, Kaiba had become painfully aware of her shifts in demeanor around him, as well as how _he_ contributed to them. Ever since his lapse in judgment (and composure) at the office, Kaiba had become increasingly vigilant of his own tone and behavior around her. _Don't want to upset the situation anymore than I already have. _He reminded himself. "Well, I'll let you go so that you can find out the specifics." Already removing the cell phone from his ear he added, "Send them to me when you do."

"Will do!" He heard her say, her tone a bit more like her chipper self. "Bye!"

Once the call was ended, Kaiba set down his phone on the desk and clasped his hands together in front of him. While he would likely have to reschedule his plans to take Mokuba roller skating in the park, he would finally have the answers he sought to the questions that had been plaguing him since that incident at the museum, seemingly so long ago, yet just as vivid in his mind as if it had happened the previous day.

_It's about time I know what the hell is going on. _

Still, he wasn't so naive to believe it would be a one-time thing, but rather more likely a series of ongoing discussions, and possibly the beginning of something else that didn't particularly care to be a part of. But at this point, whether he openly expressed the sentiment or not, Kaiba knew better than to disregard the world of magic or the repercussions that came from being part of it.

_If I have to be involved in this magical mumbo jumbo, at the very least I'm owed an explanation, and that's exactly what I'm going to get from that Shizukami girl._

* * *

**A/N**: So sorry for the delay! I've been rather busy as of late, but I do hope that you enjoy this chapter nonetheless! :)

The next chapter will have the discussion to disclose more details about the plot, and I hope that it will excite you and pull you into the story even more 3

Another headcanon of mine is that Kaiba sets aside time every Sunday for Mokuba . . . except for this one, apparently (oops). Kaiba will make it up to him somehow . . I'm sure Mokuba won't leave him much choice x)


	40. A Call for Clarity (Part 1)

Once all the details had been figured out, Kaiba had arranged for Nataki, Akana, and Yugi to meet him in his office at Kaiba Corp. and then move to have their discussion in one of the rooms he generally held board meetings inside. Because it was Sunday, the company was mostly empty except for the personnel who cleaned and maintained the building, a few security guards, a handful of technical support staff and developers, and a single receptionist, who was seated at the front desk. Still, Nataki couldn't help feeling strange walking to her place of employment with Akana and Yugi trailing close behind her, both seemingly fixated on something far off in the distance. Frankly, all three of them were exhausted from the events of the previous day, but they continued onward in content quietude until . . .

"The walk to Kaiba Corporation feels longer than usual . . . " Nataki said softly.

"I can see that." Yugi agreed.. "Because of the circumstances."

Stopping dead in her tracks Akana cleared her throat as if signaling for them to cease their walking, too. "I understand that this seems a bit unnerving," She began, her golden eyes glancing at Nataki and then Yugi. "However, I believe that much of your anxiety will disappear once the ambiguities that have arisen are settled."

Despite the calmness with which Akana spoke and conducted herself, both still seemed unconvinced, but compliant nonetheless as they resumed their walk toward Kaiba Corporation.

* * *

The threesome arrived at the massive, towering building a few minutes later and proceeded inside and approached the front desk.

"May I help you?" The woman inquired, her dark auburn hair tied into a tight bun.

"Hello Megumi-san." Nataki greeted, recognizing her immediately – having checked in at the front desk with her every weekday morning.

"Oh, Kuzana-san." Crinkling her brow slightly as if a bit surprised continued, "What brings you in here on a Sunday afternoon?" Pushing her narrow rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose a bit farther she added, "Here to see Kaiba-sama?"

Nataki nodded.

"Them too?" Her dark brown eyes darting to either side of her, looking at Akana and Yugi expectantly.

"Yes. He knows we're coming, but you can let him know we've arrived if you'd prefer."

Before the receptionist could decide whether or not to run it by her boss, the voice of the CEO's younger brother caught her attention.

"They're fine, Megumi." Mokuba stated flatly as he emerged from the elevator and neared the front desk where they were standing. "Seto asked me to come get them when they arrived, so I'll take it from here."

"Of course, Mokuba-sama." She agreed. Turning her head toward Nataki she offered "See you tomorrow morning, Kuzana-san."

"Yes, see you then." Nataki acknowledged her with a small smile before heading over toward where Mokuba was standing. "Hi Mokuba-san." She greeted, but much to her surprise he seemed unreceptive to her kind gesture.

"Hi." The response came out muffled by what appeared to be a bit of frustration – from _what_, exactly, Nataki had no idea. "Yugi." He acknowledged with a small nod, but then sort of cocked his head and stared at Akana curiously. "And you are?" He asked.

"Shizukami, Akana." Her voice gentle as she waved congenially. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mokuba-san."

"You too . . ." The young Kaiba replied, though his tone sounded a bit uncertain. Turning on his heel, he gestured for them to follow him toward the elevator.

As she walked after Mokuba, leading her two companions onward, Nataki felt a bit taken aback by the boy's less than pleased demeanor, which was quite unlike him. "Is everything okay, Mokuba-san?" She asked finally, unable to remain silent anymore.

"Yeah, you seem a bit unhappy." Yugi agreed.

With a sigh, Mokuba pressed the button to open the elevator doors. "If you _really_ want to know, I was _supposed_ to go roller skating with Seto this afternoon." Once the doors opened, he sort of hopped inside and waved his hand to usher them in so he could press the button for the floor to his brother's office. "But he said something came up unexpectedly . . ." His eyes narrowed in an almost accusatory manner. "Which I'm assuming is something to do with you three."

Nataki bit her bottom lip regretfully and offered him an apology. "Sorry Mokuba-san."

"Eh, it's fine." Mokuba shrugged. "Maybe I can still go with Seto later after he finishes whatever he's doing with you guys. If not, I guess there's always next weekend." Kicking at the floor of the elevator as it ascended he added, "But anyway, I figured I would come with him so I can keep working on my project."

"Project?" Yugi asked suddenly, clearly interested in the possibility of Mokuba designing something new, which the boy instantly picked up on.

"Oh, just my virtual reality Capsule Monsters project." Mokuba replied, a proud smirk claiming his face as he boasted about it for the remainder of the ride up (which Nataki secretly found adorable and so much like his older brother). Upon reaching the designated floor, he concluded his overview by saying, "So yeah, it's going to be awesome. You should talk to Seto about filling out the paperwork to be a beta tester, Yugi." Smiling over at Nataki he continued, "Of course, _you'll_ be testing it out _way_ before anyone else gets a chance to, Nataki-san." Winking he added, "Aren't you the lucky one?"

Nataki let a nervous laugh escape her. _It_ _may have been a __**slight**__ misjudgment on my part to volunteer, but I __**did**__ promise him, so I'm committed now. _

After gesturing toward Kaiba's office he waved congenially and stepped back into the elevator. "Well, off I go – see you guys later!" Smiling at Nataki he added, "And I'll see _you_ tomorrow!" And just like that the doors of the elevator closed and he disappeared from their line of sight.

Nataki felt a bit better upon seeing that Mokuba seemed less unhappy now, but still wanted to make it up to him for interrupting the Sunday plans he had with his older brother, who she imagined he didn't get to spend time with too often. _I'll have to think of __**something**__. _

But before she could continue down that train of thought, she noticed Akana and Yugi walking up to the door to Kaiba's office and hurried after them. One quick knock from Akana and his voice called out for them to enter, which the three did so with cautious steps. Kaiba was sitting behind his desk, cobalt eyes concentrating on some sort of paperwork in front of him before shifting focus to Nataki.

"Hi, Kaiba-san." She said with a small smile, after which Yugi followed suit. Upon acknowledging them with a nod of familiarity Kaiba stopped short, his eyes locked onto Akana with the kind of intensity that would have made most people quake in their boots, but not her. In fact, she seemed like _she_ was scrutinizing _him_.

"Kaiba." She stated, her tone lacking any shred of friendly sentiment, causing him to raise an eyebrow curiously.

"Shizukami." He said just as apathetically, although there was a hint of morbid curiosity flickering in those blue irises of his as he stared her down a moment longer (truthfully, he knew absolutely _nothing_ about her, other than the fact that she clearly wasn't fond of him, for whatever reason) before returning his attention to the group collectively. "Follow me." Kaiba proceeded while standing up from his chair and walking briskly past them out of the office, but not before setting it to lock when it shut.

* * *

A few steps down the hallway he stopped in front of the door to an available room. Quickly, he unlocked it and held it open while gesturing for them to funnel inside and seat themselves somewhere around the large table. Once everyone was situated, Kaiba exhaled deeply and closed the door behind him before taking the available seat next to Yugi. Everyone was speechless for a moment, so Kaiba figured he may as well get the ball rolling.

"Well, since Kuzana informed me that _you_ know much more about whatever happened at the museum than anyone else . . ." His eyes shooting over at Akana, who was sitting with her legs crossed and a thoughtful look on her face. "Start talking, Shizukami."

Nataki felt the sting as the words – direct and almost accusatory – left his mouth, and began to shift uncomfortably in her seat. _I know he wants answers, we __**all**__ do, but he doesn't have to sound so . . . demanding. _When she looked over at Akana, however, she was surprised to see that there wasn't an iota of fear in those golden eyes of hers. On the contrary, she seemed to be staring him down with unwavering confidence and control.

"I _will_." She began. "But I would kindly ask you _not_ to interrupt me once I do."

Kaiba sort of grunted while leaning back in his seat, seemingly out of compliance to her request, causing Nataki's mouth to hang open for a moment. _He backed off._

Content with his reaction she inhaled deeply before starting anew. "The 'Tablet of Lost Memories' at the museum . . . I'm assuming you and Mutou-san are both familiar with how it pertains to the two of you?"

At that moment, the puzzle around Yugi's neck shone a bright gold. In a flash, he had been encased it in its light, only to emerge as the 'other Yugi.' He peered over at Kaiba, who merely acknowledged him with a nod, before returning his attention to Akana presently.

"Yes." Clutching the Millennium Puzzle Yami continued, "It depicts Kaiba and I engaging in a duel over three millennia ago, as well as the three Egyptian Gods, which are somehow connected to my destiny."

Akana nodded. "So you two have come to terms with your fated rivalry and, consequently, your shared destiny to protect the world from the Great Evil?"

"'Great Evil'?" Kaiba scoffed. "What is _that_ supposed to mean? The Ghouls have been eliminated, along with their leader . . ." Raising an eyebrow he added, "Or are you implying that this . . . '_Great Evil_' you speak of encompasses more than just them?"

"What did I say about interrupting me?" Akana shot back, her tone sharp, causing Nataki to let out a small gasp and Kaiba's eyes to widen ever so slightly, but it was effective – he shut his trap. "But to answer your question, the 'Great Evil' is a blanket term that describes _any_ and _all_ manifestations of the 'Great Evil God,' so _anyone_ or _anything_ touched by _his_ dark powers or under _his_ command would be considered an extension of him, and as such, would be referred to as the 'Great Evil.'"

_'Great Evil God' . . .? _Nataki wondered suddenly, her hands trembling lightly on her lap. Noticing the somewhat anxious look in Yami's eyes, she knew that he was a bit startled by the mentioning of it, too.

"When you say 'Great Evil God,' what do you mean?" Yami inquired. "If it _is_ part of my destiny, I _must_ know."

She sighed, as if signaling her frustration upon being interrupted, but _clearly_ not in the same degree as she had been when Kaiba had done the same. "And you will, Yami-san. Just not _now_." Shooting him a saddened smile she added, "For _I_ cannot disclose what you are destined to discover of your own volition."

While he seemed unsatisfied by her words, Yami finally nodded and sat back in his seat so she could continue. Kaiba sort of shot her a disgusted look, immediately picking up on her more partial nature to the King of Games.

"The God Monsters – Osiris, Obelisk, and Ra – are the _swords_ of mankind, the ultimate weapons against the 'Great Evil God,' but they can only be commanded by the most powerful of souls." Darting her eyes from Yami to Kaiba, and then back to Yami she continued, "Which, from my understanding, is likely to be the two of you."

"Hmph, you came here to tell me _that_?" Kaiba sneered. "I already _know_ how powerful I am." Standing up from his seat, the CEO clenched held up his hand and then clenched it into a tight fist while punching it up into the air above him. "During Battle City, the Gods chose to serve Yugi and I because we're the two most powerful duelists." Narrowing his eyes bitterly he muttered under his breath, "And I would have had _all_ _three_ Gods under my command if I had defeated him."

"True," Akana commented. "But it's too soon to tell if my assumption is correct."

When both Yami and Kaiba shot her a dubious expression she added, "What you and Yami-san were controlling were _holographic_ _visions_ of the Gods, not the _actual_ Gods."

At that moment Nataki saw it, an unquenchable fire in Kaiba's eyes, an insatiable desire that had been sparked from Akana's words, which held the promise of real, authentic, raw power. And it terrified her.

"Are you telling me the Egyptian God Monsters are _real_?"

"Kaiba . . ." Yami warned, already well aware of Kaiba's never-ending quest for power and passion for conquest, for domination. While he had long since banished the evil that had grown inside the man, which had been nourished by corruption and abuse throughout the tumultuous years of his childhood, he knew very well that Kaiba was overzealous in his thirst for power – this being a deeply ingrained quality within Kaiba that could easily lead him down darker paths if not regularly kept in-check.

Akana could sense this sudden shift in demeanor from him as well, but instead of feeling threatened by it, she seemed _amused_ by it. "Yes." Standing up from her seat, she glared at him with a propensity for exacerbating his self-destructive qualities based on some deep-seated resentment – of _what_, Nataki couldn't fathom. The tension had become so thick between her and Kaiba that it almost seemed _tangible_. "And while I believe Yami-san is likely a capable candidate for controlling them, you may not be quite as competent as you believe yourself to be."

"And why is _that_?" He asked rather abruptly, insulted by her insinuation that he was in any way sub par to Yami.

Pursing her lips in protest as she shot him a quick once over she continued, "Because I can sense a weakness in your _heart_." Smirking, as if mocking him, she added, "I'm sure you know what I am referring to."

Yami sort of winced slightly as Kaiba narrowed his eyes, clearly angered by her words.

"The God Monsters have been known to destroy those with weak hearts and minds who would seek to control them, so it's possible that you may suffer the same fate."

Kaiba shot her an incredulous look before succumbing to a long fit of laughter that sent a shiver down Nataki's spine.

_That laugh. It's so . . . **condescending**. _

Immediately drawing a parallel between the sound of _his_ laugh and _Bakura's_ she shuddered.

_. . . and **evil**._

Akana merely stared at him, waiting for him to finish. When Kaiba finally _did_ cease laughing at her, he cleared his throat. "You talk as if you know me, but the truth is you know absolutely _nothing_, Shizukami." Crossing his arms in front of his chest he continued, "I mean, how could you? We've never spoken more than a few words to each other before you've run off."

Golden eyes glowering at him, Akana flicked a strand of her hair behind her shoulder carelessly. "True, I may not know _you_ very well, but you do share many similar traits with your past self." Crinkling her nose in disgust she proceeded with, "Who I had the unfortunate chance of meeting, a man whose arrogance and thirst for power made him _deplorable_."

Any trace of amused mockery was now gone from his face, and he glared over at Akana with intense condemnation for speaking such things. "Is that so?" His voice sounded dangerous, _biting_ even.

"What are you talking about, Akana-san?" Nataki interjected suddenly, immediately picking up on that fact that Akana seemed pleased to have gotten under his skin. _His past self was __**that**__ bad?_ Upon hearing Nataki question her, and that look on her face of uncertainty and concern . . .

"Never mind that Nataki-san." Akana offered, her voice a bit lighter. "I have digressed from the heart of the matter, my apologies."

But Kaiba wouldn't let her off the hook so easily. "No, you should continue." His words taunting her, _challenging_ her. "I'd love to hear more about how . . . _horrible_ I was." His voice was indignant.

"Kaiba, _enough_." Yami barked, his voice adjacent to a growl. "We need to focus on what's _really_ important right now."

With a dismissive 'Hmph.' the CEO rolled his eyes. Akana knew he was far from done questioning her about her accusation of his past self, but she would deal with that another time.

_And not in front of Nataki. The poor girl shouldn't have to remember what you put her through . . ._

"As I was saying, the Egyptian Gods are the so-called 'point of intersection' between you two and us that Ishtar-san mentioned at the museum." Enclosing her arms protectively around Nataki's neck she willed the words out. "The _actual_ Egyptian God Monsters reside within _us_."

Both Kaiba and Yami seemed to be stifling a gasp of surprise, which led Nataki to avert her eyes from their bewildered gazes, feeling quite shocked herself despite it being the second time she had been told.

"Are you _serious_?" Kaiba gawked while looking at Nataki like she was from another planet, which she may as well have been if she had an almighty God dwelling inside her. "No, there's absolutely _no_ way you could possess something like _that_." He continued while pointing at Nataki incredulously, which led her to recoil even more into her seat.

"I am nothing, if not serious." Akana stated, her tone almost ominous. "Which brings me to my next point, which has to do with the destiny Nataki and I share." Releasing Nataki from her grasp, but remaining close to her she proceeded to say, "We have been entrusted to harbor the ka of the Egyptian Gods inside our bodies because, simply put, we are the only ones who _can_."

Yami shot her a cautious glance before asking, "How . . . ?"

Kaiba's face, likewise, could do little, if _anything_, to mask the state of juxtaposition he found himself in as he came to this realization – how what he _saw_ was apparently vastly different from what was implied to be beneath the surface. How could someone as simple, meek and gentle as Nataki contain such an immense, unruly creature inside her? The mere possibility of that being true seemed absurd, impossible, almost like something out of a young adult fantasy novel.

"Let me explain." She began anew. "Nataki and I are not _human_ . . ." Looking down at Nataki who seemed completely taken aback by her statement and on the verge of tears she retracted her previous comment, "Well, at least not _completely_. We _do_ have mortal bodies, just as you and Kaiba do, but our ba is that of a different kind."

"And what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Kaiba asked, his voice cracking a bit from the flux of emotions he felt as his mind raced to piece everything together.

Nataki could see it – a mixture of feelings seeping through him simultaneously, and even though she knew virtually _nothing_ about _anything _Akana was saying, she couldn't help feeling a little guilty at having contributed to this uncomfortable situation . . . for making _him_ feel that way. She could see it all flashing across his face.

Anger.

_He's upset because he feels like Akana-san and I have lied about who we are._

Confusion_._

_He doesn't understand how any of this can be real, despite having experienced things of the magical sort before._

Concern.

_He isn't sure how this will affect him, or what to do about any of it._

"Kaiba-san . . ." Nataki tried, her voice empathetic despite her own uncertainties regarding what Akana was telling all of them. "It's going to be okay."

"Nataki-san, please . . ." Akana insisted, her voice soft, and almost pleading. "I've got this."

As she looked out at the almost frantic eyes of Kaiba and Yami, Nataki wasn't quite sure that was true, but she wasn't about to protest. Something inside made her believe that Akana would be able to dissipate the tension that she had created. Nataki convinced herself that she just had to be patient and ride this out.

"If you're not _human_ . . ." Kaiba continued, his gaze relentless as he boldly stepped toward both of them. "Then what the hell _are_ you?"

Nataki winced, his words suddenly sounding more acute and derogatory.

"Well?" He practically shouted, his tone leaving no room for escape, and Nataki felt the urge to cry building up inside her. "_Answer_ me!"

_I can't . . ._

Fear was crippling her, and she looked into his eyes pleadingly, hoping he would just calm down long enough to listen to Akana so he would understand.

_I can't . . . !_

And all at once she saw and heard it.

Akana's hand in the air.

An audible SMACK as it hit his cheek.

The quick motion of his head jerking to the left from the impact.

Cobalt eyes both completely bewildered and enraged by the hit.

Golden eyes menacing, unabashed by the hand that had delivered the blow.

And her voice, more threatening than Nataki ever imagined it could sound.

"Don't you _ever_ talk to her in that tone of voice again, or I'll rip that self-righteous tongue out of your mouth."

Yami's body had gone stone cold as if he was unable to process what had just happened, much like Nataki, who was staring open-mouthed and horrified. The urge to escape thrummed inside her, but she did not run away. Rather, she stood up from her chair and stepped out into the hallway, desperate for some air, for some space away from it all. Leaning back against the wall, she slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

**~Akana~**

Staring at the CEO with the severity and sincerity to 'put her money where her mouth was,' so to speak, Akana didn't seem to have a shred of remorse in her body for what she had done. _It was long overdue. _Was the thought that echoed through her mind, despite his appalled expression.

"What the _hell_?" Kaiba hissed while stepping back from her. "What's _wrong_ with you?"

_More than you'll ever know, but that's for another day._

"Do you really think I'm unaware of how you've treated her?" Akana's eyes narrowed. "How you've _frightened_ her?" Clutching onto the lapels of his long, white, sleeveless coat she added, "You should be _ashamed_ of yourself."

Tugging on his coat more firmly, so that Kaiba's face was mere inches from her own, she leaned forward and brought her lips within inches of his ear.

"If you threaten her, I simply _can't_ overlook it." Her voice a whisper, but dripping with acid. "So I suggest you change your ways, because I could be your worst nightmare."

"Akana . . ." Yami interjected suddenly, though he seemed a bit apprehensive about it.

_Stay out of this, Atem. _Her mind cursed at him.

"That wasn't my intent." The CEO retorted indignantly. "I just want answers! You _can't_ expect me to listen calmly to what you're saying and not have valid questions or concerns!" Removing her hands from the lapels of his coat he continued, "And I'd kindly ask you _not_ to touch me."

Tilting her head in challenge her eyes narrowed. "And I'd kindly ask _you_ to refrain from placing your hands on Nataki-san."

Whatever he had been expecting her to say as a comeback, it _clearly_ hadn't been that. Kaiba's eyes widened slightly at the realization that she knew about what had happened that day in his office. _But __**how**__?_

_Yes, I know about your little 'lapse in judgment.'_

"And before you start making assumptions, she didn't tell me." Akana continued. "I have my ways of keeping a safe watch over her from afar."

"Akana!" Yami tried again, this time louder than the previous.

Turning her head to face him, she noticed that he was almost reaching for her in an effort to separate the two of them. She could tell that things had gone astray, the conversation somewhat compromised by her inability to sidestep her feelings of resentment and anger bubbling inside her . . . feelings that _he_ pulled out of her. "It's fine, Yami-san. I have said my piece." Turning back to face the CEO momentarily she felt the need to add, "Let's drop this, Kaiba."

_I don't regret putting you in your place, but I've upset Nataki in the process . . ._

While he seemed hesitant to acquiesce, the look Yami gave him to back down finally managed to convince him to return to his seat. Akana exhaled deeply and turned toward the door to the room, her eyes staring beyond in concern for back down for a moment to regain her composure, she began massaging her temples.

_What to do **now** . . . ? _

She considered stepping out to check on Nataki, and finally opted to do so after a moment or two.

"I'll be back." She offered both of them while closing the door behind her. Peering down at the ground, she could see and hear Nataki crying softly. Sinking down beside her, Akana offered a reassuring hand.

"Are you alright, Nataki-san?"

"I . . . I don't know." She replied between sobs. "I just don't know."

"Everything has calmed down, now." Akana continued. "I'm sorry for creating unnecessary tension."

Nataki rubbed her eyes in an effort to stop the tears from emerging, but Akana thought better of it and reached out to her and lightly dabbed the tears off her cheeks herself. "I really _am_ sorry, Nataki-san."

"It's not just that . . ." Nataki hugged her legs closer to her chest. "It's _everything_. That whole incident with Bakura, almost losing Haine-chan last night, and now you say that, on top of having God Monsters trapped inside us, we're not _human_?" Shaking her head she added, "It's all just so terrifying!"

Akana leaned closer to the still weeping Nataki and tried to calm her by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I can see that." Looking out down the hallway while trying to figure out a less catastrophic way to break the news of what they were, Nataki leaned into her touch. "Anything unknown is frightening at first, but once you understand . . . everything will fall into place." Smiling she added, "You'll be fine, I promise."

"Thank you, Akana-san . . ." Nataki replied softly. "I hope so."

"I know so." Akana affirmed while standing up from her spot on the ground beside her. "Take as much time as you need. I won't explain anything else until you return." And with that she re-entered the room, leaving Nataki to gather her thoughts in peace.

* * *

**A/N**: Whelp, tensions are mounting, emotions are spiraling out of control . . . you know you're nearing the main plot now! xP

The next chapter will tie up the remaining loose threads - HOW Nataki and Akana are going to be involved in the destinies of Kaiba and the pharaoh, WHAT they are, and more specifically WHY they exist . . . stay tuned ;)


	41. A Call for Clarity (Part 2)

A few minutes later, Nataki had managed to calm herself enough to return. As she entered, she noticed that no one was staring at her or commenting on her brief leave, not even Kaiba, who was leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes closed. Upon hearing her sit down next to Akana, he opened his eyes and sort of sighed. While the temptation to make a sarcastic quip likely trembled on his lips, the sting lingering on his still reddened cheek was a reminder of what would follow. Both Akana and Yami glanced at Nataki with more concern than anything else.

"I'm sorry that I left . . ." She began while clutching at the sides of her seat. "I'm not too proud to say that all of this magical stuff scares the _crap_ out of me . . ." Gazing over at each of them for a brief moment she continued, "But I'm _trying_ to be brave, to accept all of this, and have the courage to see through it as best as I can." Despite her efforts, Nataki felt like her voice resounded little more than the flutter of a butterfly's wing, or the rustle of leaves in a tree. "Just like all of you are doing." _Albeit clearly __**much**__ better than __**I**__ am._

"We know, Nataki-san." Akana replied while she reached over to gently squeeze her hand. "You don't owe us an explanation." Peering over at Yami and Kaiba she proceeded to add, "Both of them have had previous exposure to magic multiple times, whereas you've had only one experience with it, and quite a traumatic one at that."

"That's true." Yami nodded in agreement, remembering the incident she was referring to that had transpired less than twelve hours ago with vivid clarity. Nataki forced out a small smile of gratitude and waited for Akana to resume the conversation that she had interrupted. Relinquishing her touch, though somewhat reluctantly, Akana cleared her throat to signal she planned to speak.

"Well then, as I was saying before . . ." Her golden eyes glimmering. "Nataki and I have _human_ bodies, just as _you_ both do. However, _your_ spiritual essence is that of the _mortal_ kind, whereas Nataki's and mine are of the _immortal_ kind."

Confused cobalt darted from Nataki to Akana. "Immortal?" Kaiba's voice scoffed. "You've _got_ to be _joking_. That would suggest that you're gods."

"_Goddesses_, actually." Akana corrected him, a slight hum in her voice. "But because we possess Earthly bodies, I suppose the term 'demi-goddesses' would be more fitting."

_**Goddesses**? _

Nataki's eyes widened immeasurably, and her mouth hung open for a moment.

_How can that be . . .?_

She shook her head in disbelief, but said nothing. To be fair, what _could_ she say in response to something like that? Pronouncing Nataki and herself _goddesses_ seemed so ludicrous, but she said it so calmly and confidently that Nataki found it hard to believe she was lying, no matter how crazy it sounded.

"_Ridiculous_!" The CEO spat, which Akana simply ignored. Truthfully, she was far too engrossed in the mystified expressions on Nataki's face.

"Is _that_ why you have powers, Akana-san?" Nataki inquired suddenly. _I mean, no normal person would be able to use magic like she did. _She thought while remembering the blinding flashes of light in the likeness of arrows that had forced Bakura to flee, and the faint golden glow that had emanated from her body and enveloped Haine when trying to save her.

"Precisely." She nodded with a small smile. "As do _you_, Nataki-san."

Swallowing the lump in her throat she inquired, "R-Really?" Staring at the palms of her hands she sighed. "But I don't _feel_ them or anything."

Running her fingers ever so lightly down the length of her palm she replied just as softly, "Well, your powers remain nascent each lifetime." Staring into her dark blue eyes she added, "And yours are of a different origin."

_Different in origin? _"What do you mean?"

Standing up from her chair, Akana proceeded to grab a piece of paper and a pen from the center of the table around which they were seated. Within seconds, she had sketched a circle split into shaded and unshaded halves. Looking up at all three of them expectantly she asked, "I'm assuming you're all familiar with the Chinese philosophical concept of Yin and Yang?" Holding up her sketch so they could see she continued, "That is, how _opposite_ forces in nature are actually _complementary_, _interconnected_, and _interdependent_." She paused a moment to make sure all eyes were on her. "Essentially, these contrary energies give _rise_ to each other." Pointing at the shaded portion of the circle she proceeded, "More simply, Yin is thought of as dark energy." Gliding her fingers over to the unshaded section she continued, "Whereas Yang is light energy."

"Oh yeah." Nataki agreed. "I remember learning about it when reading the chapter on different Asian religions and philosophies in history. That's part of Daoism, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right." She replied with a small smile, pleased to see Nataki somewhat assuaged by the idea.

Kaiba rolled his eyes indolently, while Yami watched attentively. Tracing along the outside of the circle she added, "The existence of _both_ simultaneously creates Oneness, or _balance_. Every human being has this duality inside, but tends to draw his or her energies from one source more so than the other. For example . . ." Gesturing to Yami, who was clearly absorbed by the content – she continued, "_You_ tend to draw your energy from the dark, Yami-san, which is exhibited by your tendency to use mainly spell-casters and magicians when dueling. Whereas Kaiba . . ."

Upon hearing his name mentioned he raised an eyebrow, his expression still incredulous as he looked over at her.

"You lean more toward the light, as your preference to use light monsters demonstrates, especially the Blue Eyes White Dragon – one of the most powerful monsters of the light magic affinity."

"What's the point in telling us all this?" Kaiba inquired with insistence in his tone.

"My _point_, Kaiba, is that the same holds true for Nataki and myself, although slightly different due to the nature of our ba."

"How is our 'ba' different?" Nataki wondered, her eyes twinkling with a bit of curiosity now. "Other than the fact you said it was supernatural."

"Simply put, _our_ ba is actually one of _three_ pieces that were once _one_ ba." Outstretching her hand above her head and gazing up at it almost nostalgically Akana began anew, "The ba of a goddess who was born to preserve the balance of _this_ world. During her descent from the heavens, she split into three ba, losing her holistic spiritual existence and consequently, separating into one light ba, one dark ba, and one neutral ba that could inherit the properties of either light or dark, if necessary."

"Oh." Nataki blinked. _Akana-san said she uses light magic, so that would mean I probably have dark magic. _

"Hold on." Kaiba remarked. "If there are 'three pieces' of this 'ba' crap, or whatever you called it, there should be three of you." Raising an eyebrow he asked, "So where's the third?"

Akana closed her eyes briefly, and Nataki saw a trace of what appeared to be solemnity on her face. "The third ba remains _dormant_ unless needed, and with it, the ka of the remaining Egyptian God." Was all she offered, clearly not feeling the need to delve into the details. Still, Nataki couldn't help feeling a bit disheartened by the thought that there was a soul just floating about without a body . . . without a clear purpose of its own until it was 'needed,' whatever that meant.

_It must be so lonely . . ._

Sensing Nataki's sudden shift in demeanor, Akana proceeded over toward her and reassuringly ran her fingers through her lovely dark locks. "It's alright, Nataki-san. It has been this way since the beginning." Sitting down in her chair beside her she continued, "You and I have been all this world has ever needed, and Haruka understands the conditions of her existence. She bears no qualms against us for it."

_So her name is **Haruka** . . ._

Somehow hearing the third ba's name gave her more substance, made her more real, and that made Nataki feel a bit less somber.

_I wonder what she's like? _

Returning her attention to Kaiba, Akana narrowed her eyes. "Does that answer your question?"

"Hmph, this whole multiple ba thing seems highly unlikely to me, but whatever." He remarked. As a smirk suddenly claimed his face he added, "As if I'd ever believe that _you_ and _Kuzana_ came are _demi-goddesses_."

"Believe whatever you wish." Akana replied flatly. "My purpose is solely to communicate this information to you and Yami-san. _How_ the two of you rationalize it is beyond my control."

While Kaiba seemed skeptical about pretty much _everything_ Akana had said, Yami, in contrast, was positively _fascinated_ by it all, his eyes reflective of the hunger he now felt to hear even _more_ about the nature of their existence. "So just to clarify, Akana." He began, his voice relatively calm despite his eagerness. "Because you've said quite a bit of information, I just want to make sure I'm following correctly."

_You and me **both**, Yami-san. _Nataki thought to herself while she looked over at him curiously.

Kaiba shot him a contemptuous look as if to ask 'Why are you asking her to go over it when she's clearly making all of this shit up?', but he remained silent.

"Of course." Akana acknowledged his request with a patient smile.

"Thank you." His face was pensive for a moment, as if he was searching for the right words. "First, you and Nataki both have have ba from a goddess."

"That's correct." Akana nodded.

"And that explains how you are able to possess and manipulate magic without a millennium item or any other mystical object." He thought aloud. "As well as your purpose, which is to preserve balance." Holding out his arms so that they resembled the platforms of a scale, shifting them up and down in opposing rhythms he continued, "Nataki's ba draws magic from dark energy predominantly, whereas yours draws from light energy?"

"Yes." Akana seemed amused by his restating of the information. Clearly, he was making every effort to understand it, and she seemed pleased with his attentiveness to detail and ability to piece together the story. _Much like how Mutou-san pieced together the puzzle that awakened your soul, Atem._

"I suppose my next question is which ka your ba anchors within you." Crossing his arms in front of his chest he added, "Since the Egyptian Gods don't specifically correspond to either affinity."

This question piqued Kaiba's interest, which was obvious from the way his eyes seemed to twinkle with allure . . . with _avarice_ for that power. Oh, how he _yearned_ to have dominion over something as mighty, as fearsome as _a God_, and Yami knew this. Hell or high water, if there was a way for the CEO to acquire power of _that_ magnitude, he would stop at _nothing_ to obtain it. Wariness shone in his scarlet eyes as he glanced at Kaiba, but then returned his attention to Akana presently.

While pursing her lips thoughtfully, Akana seemed to be mulling over how she should answer that question, or whether she should answer it at all.

"Why don't you just see for yourself?" Kaiba suggested darkly. With a smirk he added, "You brought them, didn't you? Just hold them up like last time."

Nataki and Akana both glanced at Yami somewhat cautiously as he slowly began reaching inside the holster of his deck of cards. Upon retrieving the three cards, each of which gave off a very intense vibe, Nataki began to panic.

_Oh no. _

Looking over at Akana, she realized that there was a noticeable calmness in her demeanor.

_How is she so calm? She **must** remember what happened at the museum . . . ?_

Yet something about the way Akana was staring fixedly at the cards, her golden gaze unwavering, suggested that she was sure of herself, of the situation. She gave off the impression that this time would _not_ be a repeat of that incident because she wouldn't let it.

Seeing the cards made Kaiba's smirk more pronounced, and he seemed to be egging his rival on to hold them up just as he had done at the museum that day. But Yami wasn't so quick to follow the CEO's train of thought. Instead, he merely set them down onto the table right-side up.

'What are you doing?' Kaiba was about to ask in protest, but upon noticing Akana stand up and proceed over toward the cards he said nothing, opting to observe what would happen instead. She crinkled her nose while looking down at the three Egyptian God cards.

"Be careful, Akana-san." Nataki muttered softly.

"It's alright, Nataki-san." She said gently. _I was caught off-guard last time, and won't make that mistake again._

Cautiously, Akana held outstretched her hand above the cards and sort of let it hover over them without saying a word. A few seconds later one of them started to emit a faint golden glow, the text seeming to almost lift off the card ever so slightly.

"Ra." Yami and Kaiba stated at practically the same moment in awe.

_That huge phoenix looking thing? _Nataki gasped internally as she took a few steps closer to get a better look. _That thing is in Akana-san?_

She watched as Akana withdrew her hand and let it fall to her side, causing the light emanating from the card to diminish until it disappeared completely. Golden eyes glanced at her with patient expectancy, and Nataki swallowed a lump in her throat as she neared the three cards and held out her hand above them anxiously.

_They all look so terrifying . . . _

At first nothing appeared to be happening, which seemed to confuse everyone except for Akana, who simply muttered "Patience." Nataki was considering pulling her hand back when suddenly one of the cards started to glow, but in dark, almost daunting purple hue, the text seeming to lift off the slightest bit, just like when Akana had done the same.

_It reminds me of the Shadow Games . . . _Nataki thought despairingly as Bakura's haunting laughter reverberated through her. _That must be what dark magic looks like . . . what __**my**__ magic looks like._

"Obelisk." The sound of the God's name bounced off Kaiba's lips with a sort of familiarity . . . and _ownership_. As he saw it, _Obelisk_ had chosen _him_, not the other way around. Even if it had been just the holographic counterpart like Akana had said. _I have no doubt that the real Obelisk will find me worthy enough to lend me its power. _

Of course truthfully, the CEO had been _entrusted_ with the divine beast by Isis in an effort to lure in those who possessed the two other Gods during his Battle City Tournament. Handing it over to Yugi as per the ante rule he had established had left a bitter taste in his mouth that he still hadn't quite gotten over yet, but staring down at the card now, Kaiba had a renewed zeal to possess it and the power it held. His gaze shifted to Nataki, who was still looking down at the card with trepidation.

_Obelisk is in Kuzana . . . _His mind echoed feverishly.

Yami could sense that Kaiba was scheming something from the way he had reacted, and a twinkle of madness was starting to form in his eyes. After gesturing for Nataki to remove her hand, Yami began anew.

"So _Ra_ dwells inside _you_, Akana. And _Obelisk_ resides within _Nataki_." His voice was tense as he spoke, as if sensing the gravity behind such power being contained inside them. "Based on what you mentioned earlier about the third ba, Osiris is dormant without a ba to contain it, I presume?"

"Yes. Osiris has remained in a deep slumber along with the third ba, as it has ever since the end of the first lifetime" Akana replied. "Of course, Ra and Obelisk have remained dormant inside of _us_ each lifetime as well – there was no need for them to remain conscious. _This_ lifetime is the first during which you and Kaiba have been reincarnated along with us and, consequently, have awakened the Egyptian Gods that have been dwelling within us." Crossing her arms in front of her chest as she pursed her lips thoughtfully she added, "So my thoughts are that Nataki and I possess _two_ destinies this time around."

_**Two** destinies?! _Nataki gawked, still unable to tear her eyes away from the frightening image on the Duel Monsters card of Obelisk, the ferocious monster that apparently existed inside of her. _It seems like **one** destiny would be **more** than enough, especially with something this horrible looking to contend with._

Akana reached over and wove her fingers in between Nataki's gently as if saying 'Don't fret. We will be fine.' Returning her attention to the two men presently, she resumed her train of thought. "Yes. First and foremost, our destiny is to preserve the balance of this world, which we do so merely by existing." Squeezing Nataki's hand supportively she continued, "The second, I presume, would be to assist you in defeating the Great Evil God as much as we can."

"And by _assist_ us, you mean allow us to use the power of the God Monsters ?" Kaiba inquired, his tone warranting precision.

"If the need presents itself." Akana retorted dismissively, clearly anticipating the direction he was heading. "Which I hardly think it would. I'm thinking more along the lines of using our magic to support you."

"But if it _does_ . . ." Kaiba insisted.

Nataki felt the intrigue in his tone of voice and sort of stepped back a bit, which Akana noticed.

"There is no need to delve into hypothetical 'If . . . , then . . .' scenarios, Kaiba." She stated flatly, leaving no room for argument. "Rest assured, if there _were_ an incident warranting the . . . summoning of the Egyptian Gods from within us I would be well aware of it, and would instruct you and Yami-san regarding what to do."

"Hmph." The CEO grunted, clearly displeased by what he felt was a rather lackluster reply. He wanted to know the _protocol_, the means by which the God Monsters could be drawn out of them. Suddenly, his mind wandered back to that time at the museum, and Kaiba became silent for a moment as he considered its implications.

Turning to look at each person briefly, focusing especially on the somewhat mixed emotions scrawled across Nataki's face, she sighed deeply. "Well, I believe _that_ is enough for the three of you to chew on for one day."

"Hold on." Kaiba said suddenly, which received a most displeased look from Akana. "I have one more question."

Akana narrowed her eyes and shot him a look of sheer annoyance. She wasn't about to go against her word – how much more direct did she need to be about being done talking about everything for one day? _Nataki-san needs some time to come to terms with this, so I will not engage in anymore talk on the subject._

"What is it, Kaiba-san?" Nataki asked suddenly, unable to shut him down quite so easily.

"It seems _odd_ that you would spend so much time explaining your magical affinities and acknowledging ours without communicating explicitly the connection between them." Smirking indignantly when he saw Akana's face become more taut, he knew he she had purposely avoided talking about it.

_Thought you'd avoid mentioning that little detail, hmm? _Taking a few steps toward her and Nataki he looked down at Akana smugly._ I don't think so. _

"I assumed it was obvious." Akana replied, her tone doing little to mask her irritation.

Kaiba's smirk grew a tad longer. "It is, I suppose, but I like clarification whenever possible." Cocking his head to one side slightly he continued, "If opposites are actually _complementary_, as you said, then does that mean _you_ balance _Yugi_, and _Kuzana_ balances _me_?"

Placing a protective hand on Nataki, who seemed a bit surprised by this sudden shift in Kaiba's demeanor Akana nodded hesitantly. "Yes, but not _indefinitely_." A pause. "After all, humans possess Oneness, as I mentioned, whereas Nataki-san and I are wholly opposites." Once Kaiba's smirk disappeared she continued, "But as I mentioned earlier, I won't discuss anything more today."

"Understood." Yami interjected before Kaiba could argue against it, which he had clearly been about to. "Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this to us, Akana."

"Of course, Yami-san." She replied softly while looking over at Nataki, who forced a small smile despite feeling quite out of sorts beneath the surface. "Well?" Outstretching her hand warmly while gesturing toward the door she added, "Shall we go?"

Nataki blinked, her mind still racing from everything she had learned over the past hour. "Oh, sure." Grasping hold of Akana's hand, she proceeded to follow her out of the room. When they reached the door she stopped and turned on her heel a bit. "I'll see you around, Yami-san." She waved, before peering at Kaiba, whose eyes seemed focused on something off in the distance. "And I'll see you tomorrow, Kaiba-san."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." The CEO replied dismissively.

Nataki smiled faintly before returning her attention to Akana, who was waiting patiently for her so they could leave. With a quick nod, Nataki signaled that she was ready, and slowly Akana opened the door. A few seconds later, the two of them had disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

**~Yami~**

Peering over at Kaiba suspiciously, Yami remained silent for a moment. While he didn't want to sound accusatory by any means, he felt the need to ask, "What do you think?" Tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans he added, "About everything Akana said, I mean."

The CEO's cold cobalt eyes glanced over at him momentarily before he proceeded to sit down in his chair. "It's still a bit unbelievable." He spat. "Then again, a lot of things seem that way to me at first."

"So you _do_ believe it?" Yami replied, his question sounding more like a statement.

"Does it _matter_?" Kaiba retorted. "I mean, it doesn't change the fact that they're here, or that we're involved." Rolling his eyes the CEO proceeded to add, "I should have known that the shit would hit the fan after Isis showed me that damn mural before Battle City. What, with all the ancient Egyptian crap she droned on about, and _you_ being some nameless pharaoh . . ."

"And _you_ being a powerful, high priest who was the pharaoh's greatest rival and _friend_." Yami countered as if reminding Kaiba how much all of this 'mumbo jumbo,' as he generally called it, had to do with _him_, as well. "But we've long since come to terms with that, so I won't rehash it."

"_Thank_ _you_." Kaiba sighed tiredly. Closing his eyes, he began anew. "What irks me though is how Shizukami mentions how we're most likely the only human beings capable of controlling the Egyptian Gods, but then brushes it off as something that she'll talk about more when the 'need presents itself.'" Crossing his legs as he shook his head in annoyance he added, "Whatever the hell _that_ means. Sounds like a cheap cop out to me."

"Well, I wouldn't dwell on it too much." Yami finally replied. _Although., I __**do**__ understand his frustration over the matter. Akana was nothing, if not thorough, but at the same time she did seem to barely touch upon __**how**__ exactly Kaiba and I are supposed to fulfill __**our**__ roles as they pertain to __**them **__beyond using their magic to help us defeat any manifestations of the Great Evil God._

With a dismissive snort, Kaiba peered over at the three Egyptian God cards still lying face up on the table. Yami instantly noticed and watched the CEO carefully, picking up on how his cobalt eyes seemed to darken at the promise of power.

_He's been bitter about relinquishing Obelisk to me ever since the tournament . . ._

"You know, if Kuzana counterbalances _me_, perhaps _my_ responsibility is to keep Obelisk in check, since it's awakened inside her." His finger ever so faintly ran along the outer rim of God card. "So maybe it would be for the best if _I_ hold onto the card." The sudden panic in Yami's eyes led Kaiba to slowly relinquish his tracing of the card. "Just a thought." The CEO continued flatly.

"I'm not so sure that is required of you, Kaiba." Yami said while flattening his palm on the table in front of the cards so that his fingers were touching the corners of each one. "Akana said nothing about that."

"And _why_ do you think that is?" Kaiba sneered, his voice becoming thicker with contempt. "Because she _knows_ we're capable of _controlling_ the Egyptian Gods, but doesn't _want_ us to."

"She didn't seem so certain of that to me." Yami replied somewhat dismissively. As his mind called forth the incident at the museum seemingly so long ago he averted Kaiba's intense gaze. _He couldn't be implying that what happened at the museum . . .?_

"That's right, Yugi." Kaiba continued. "That day at the museum, both of them reacted strongly to the cards, and now we know which ones. I've been thinking about what could have caused the cards to elicit such a profound response from them, and after hearing what Shizukami said today . . ." Lacing his fingers together he added, "I think you almost force-summoned the God Monsters out of them."

* * *

**A/N: **Hello readers!

First and foremost,_ I am so sorry this update is so late! _I feel horrible about it, and will sincerely try to be more consistent! Between job searching and everything this fanfic has been less of a priority as of late, but I will try to stick to updating once a week, once every two weeks the minimum. Some chapters will not take as long to draft and review as others (this one was a _beast_ because of all the plot content).

Secondly, I hope that this chapter was _worth_ the wait! I know there's a lot of information in it, and this was meant to be a bulk chapter. Other smaller details about Nataki and Akana will be woven into the upcoming chapters so you can learn more about them :)

Thirdly, we finally get the Yami perspective! Yami is actually a very interesting character that I feel like I've become more comfortable writing about - of course I'll never get inside his head as much as Yugi has (aibou~).

Finally, as always,_ thank you so much_ for your continuous support, comments, faves, etc. It means so much to me, and I really look forward to hearing from you!


	42. A Sense of Direction

**~Yami~**

Scarlet eyes stared at Kaiba in an almost dumbfounded state. An accidental force-summon? Surely there must have been some _other_ explanation as to why the two girls had experienced pain that day at the museum? Yet as he recalled Nataki's trepidation to approach the God cards only moments ago, Yami reasoned that perhaps he _had_ unknowingly – at the very least – _roused_ the mighty beasts from their slumbers, which likely had felt painful to the two girls. Hadn't Akana mentioned that his presence, along with Kaiba's, had reawakened the divine creatures that had lay dormant inside her and Nataki ever since their second reincarnation? But if that _was_ true . . .

_Then wouldn't the Gods have reacted to the cards again?_

Shifting his attention to the three Egyptian God cards still laying face up on the table he narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Upon hearing Kaiba clear his throat, Yami looked over at the CEO, who seemed positively _enthralled_ by the notion that the God Monsters could be forced out of Nataki and Akana. A chill ran through him at the mere thought of Kaiba trying to initiate a force-summon, and he hastily retrieved the God cards from the table before placing them back inside his holster. Kaiba seemed a bit irritated by the action, but did not comment on it. Rather, he strode past his rival with tangible determination that caused the hairs on Yami's neck to stand on end.

"In any case, I'm going to investigate it further." He began, his voice calm, yet full of conviction. "If Shizukami won't disclose the _entire_ story to us, I'll fill in the plot holes to it myself."

"How do you plan to do that?" Yami inquired suddenly. "Akana is likely the only individual who possesses such knowledge, but seems steadfast to withhold certain details from us, at least presently."

With a smirk, the CEO proceeded over toward him. "I have my sources." Yami raised an eyebrow curiously and watched as Kaiba walked over toward the intercom. "Isono, I'm going to need you to bring the limo around to the front of the building." He spoke into the machine before gesturing for Yami to head toward the door, which he did so, albeit a bit hesitantly. "Fuguta, secure the building in my absence." Kaiba added before following after him, locking the door, and closing it behind him.

_I wonder what Kaiba means by **that** . . . _Yami thought to himself quietly while stepping into the hallway, half startled by Kaiba's abruptness as he was side-stepped by him. While Yami proceeded toward the elevator after him, the CEO sort of sighed in irritation as he pressed the button to call it up to their floor.

"I never realized how slowly you walk." He jeered at the King of Games. "Then again, you _are_ a good foot shorter than me, so I suppose it makes sense."

Shooting Kaiba a brief scowl in response to the childish remark, Yami reasoned that it wasn't worth the effort to acknowledge it, although he had a few quick comebacks that would have sufficed just nicely.

A minute later the elevator doors opened, and the two duelists stepped inside. Yami looked up at Kaiba in silence, wondering what exactly his so-called plan entailed, but deciding it best to wait and figure it out. He didn't want to seem like he was doubtful of the man, who certainly _did_ have a knack for problem solving and strategizing. Smiling to himself, Yami realized it was this quality that made Kaiba such a worthy rival who kept him on his toes and helped him become an even better duelist with every challenge.

Once the elevator reached the ground floor the doors opened, and Kaiba stepped off with Yami following after him. Raising an eyebrow curiously, he glanced down at the King of Games and asked, "You're awfully quiet all of the sudden, Yugi." With a mocking cluck of his tongue he added, "I'll bet you're _dying_ to know where we're going."

His response was merely a blank expression. Truthfully, he _did_ want to know, but wouldn't give Kaiba the satisfaction of inquiring about it. With a smirk he merely replied, "I trust your judgment, Kaiba." _Despite the fact that you inevitably become side-tracked by your own motives._

The CEO's grin disappeared, and with a dismissive "Hmph." he gestured for Yami to follow after him. When they stepped outside of Kaiba Corporation, he saw that there was a limo waiting for them.

"Good afternoon, Yugi-san." He heard Isono acknowledge him.

"Ah, yes." Yami replied somewhat awkwardly as he got in the limo. "You, too." While the man was by no means a stranger – he recognized him as the Master of Ceremonies of Kaiba's Battle City Tournament, and imagined he was one of the CEO's most trusted employees. Still, it wasn't as if he had ever _actually_ spoken directly to him, so he really didn't know him all that well, but . . .

Fortunately, Isono's attention immediately shifted to his employer upon hearing him situate himself inside the limousine.

"Where to, Seto-sama?" He thought aloud while pushing his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Domino City Museum." Kaiba stated flatly.

_The museum? _

As Yami peered over at him curiously he was met with a rather casual glance of cobalt. Kaiba said nothing, as if to suggest that he make the connection for himself, which he did almost immediately.

_Of course! Kaiba wants to ask Isis about it. Since she was the one who suggested that there was something different about Akana and Nataki in the first place, it makes sense that he would think to confer with her about what we just learned. _

Nodding knowingly, Yami leaned back in his seat and stared out at the streets of Domino beyond the tinted windows, the anticipation of hearing what Isis would say suddenly eating away at him.

* * *

**~Nataki~**

Meanwhile, on the way back from Kaiba Corp. Nataki felt as if her mind was drowning in a sea of questions regarding the seemingly inexplicable possibilities Akana's words had pronounced to be true. Demi-goddesses? Preserve the balance of the world? Light and dark magic? Her head was like a balloon about to burst, but somehow she remained calm . . . at least outwardly. And while she seemed to be taking what Akana had said _relatively_ well, there was clearly something burning a hole through her that needed to be snuffed out before it consumed her.

_My magic looked just like **his**. _

By which, of course, she meant Bakura's. Not surprisingly, there mere thought of her magic having having _any_ semblance to what was exhibited by that terrifying man who almost _killed_ her friend was not well received. It _sickened_ her, really, to have seen how her magic had shone in the likeness of his – a savagely dark hue that appeared corrupt in nature, with a shadowy presence that seemed to loom forebodingly over anything it touched, sullying it forever . . .

_That's what my magic looks like._ Her mind echoed. _**Evil**_.

Needless to say, Akana picked up on Nataki's sullen silence and called her out on it. "Something troubling you, Nataki-san?" Maintaining her stride alongside the poor girl, who seemed a bit startled by the question she added, "If so, you needn't keep it to yourself."

Biting her bottom lip Nataki hesitated to reply, and Akana sighed softly while ceasing her movement onward. Placing a firm hand upon her shoulder she continued, "If you have another question, please don't hesitate to ask it. I'd be more than happy to address anything that's troubling you."

Smiling softly Nataki nodded. "Thank you, Akana-san." Turning her head to survey the area around her, she realized that it was quite crowded. Of course, Sundays generally were in Domino. Returning her attention to Akana presently she proceeded to add, "But I don't think we should discuss anything of the magical sort within earshot of so many people."

"Why yes, of course." She agreed. "Perhaps you should follow me back to my apartment where we can address the matter in private?"

Nataki seemed pensive for a moment as if considering an alternative. "Or, you could follow _me_ back to _my_ apartment." She offered with a sudden excitement. "I just realized you've never seen it! I mean, I guess there really isn't _that_ much to see, but . . ."

A light-hearted chuckle escaped Akana, and her golden locks seemed to be laughing as well as they bounced up and down gently. "If you'd like." Revealing a small smile she continued, "I'd be more than happy to oblige."

"Great!" Nataki exclaimed while gesturing toward the direction of her apartment complex. "Follow me!"

A few minutes later the two girls were standing in front of the door to her apartment. While Nataki proceeded to unlock it a sudden realization hit her.

_Oh no . . ._

Turning the handle of the doorknob, she slowly pushed the door open a crack and gasped, immediately feeling horrified by her huge oversight in offering to bring Akana back to her place. Sensing the slightly mortified expression curtailing any sense of eagerness Nataki had initially conveyed upon showing her the apartment, Akana tapped her on the shoulder.

"Is something the matter?"

"Well, no." She stalled. "I mean, not really, but I, um, could you wait here for just a minute?"

Golden eyes blinked while staring at her. "Okay." She replied.

Within seconds Nataki disappeared from her sight as she hastily slid inside and shut the door behind her. Scanning the apartment, she felt the panic spread through her upon seeing how messy she had left the place.

_The past couple of days have been so hectic . . . _She thought to herself while scouring the living room for any loose articles of clothing (mostly socks), dirty dishes, and other miscellaneous articles that needed to be put back where they belonged. _What, with returning from Yugi-kun's late after the whole thing with Haine-chan happened, and then finding out about meeting with Yami-san and Kaiba-san this morning . . . _Breaking into a furious frenzy of cleaning, Nataki tossed any clothes she found into her hamper like a professional basketball player, rinsed off the stray dishes before placing them into the dishwasher, and tidied up her furniture (fluffing pillows, making her bed, etc.). _I've had NO time to CLEAN this place AGHHHH! _

All the while, she hoped Akana wasn't growing impatient standing outside. As if sensing the need to reassure her that she had not been forgotten Nataki shouted, "Just another minute, okay?" At which she heard Akana reply "Alright." through the door with a hint of amusement in her tone. As she retrieved the vacuum cleaner from the closet and did a quick once over of the carpeting, she could have sworn she heard Akana laughing gently.

"Sorry about that." Nataki said with a sheepish smile as she finally conceded to opening the door and letting Akana enter. "I forgot how . . . _lazy_ I have been with the upkeep around here lately, and couldn't stand having someone over with it looking so messy."

"It's quite alright." She replied. "You have been a bit preoccupied with other, more pressing matters that required your attention, as of late."

"Yeah." Nataki agreed. "But it's no excuse for any sloppiness on my part, or even remotely acceptable when giving someone a first impression." Scratching her head nervously she added, "I wouldn't want you thinking that I live like a slob."

Akana smiled kindly. "I would never peg you as anything of the sort, Nataki-san." Taking a few steps around the living room, she stared curiously at the small little bits of Nataki's personality that shone through in the smallest and simplest of ways – like the light purple afghan that was draped over the couch that seemed to be embracing the cushions, or the pale blue binder with the words "Favorite Recipes" written across it that sat adjacent to a small basket filled with magazines – all of which seemed to have something to do with cooking or baking. These minuscule details made Akana smile, which Nataki realized instantly and felt happy about.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Nataki asked before disappearing into the kitchen. "Something to eat, perhaps?" She added before opening her refrigerator and sticking her head inside to look for something she could make quickly.

"No thank you." Akana's voice, which was closer than she thought it would be, startled her and she gasped lightly, leading her to apologize. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay." Nataki laughed. "I just didn't hear you follow me in here." Returning her attention to the shelves inside the fridge she began anew. "In any case, I insist. So tell me . . ." She continued while reaching inside and emerging with a bowl of ramen noodles and a container of diced chicken breast meat. "Do you by any chance like ramen? Because I could heat this up real quick for us." Setting it on the counter before disappearing partially inside the fridge once more she added, "If not, I can steam up some rice and make some sashimi or something." Sighing sadly as she closed the door she stated, "My food options make me a sorry excuse for a host, I suppose."

"No, not at all." Akana reassured her. "I would be more than happy with a bowl of ramen."

"Are you sure?" Nataki inquired. "Because I really don't mind making something else if you-"

But before she could continue, Akana had already proceeded to open the container of chicken and pick a piece out with her well-manicured fingers. Without a second thought she tossed it into her mouth and smiled while chewing. "My, this chicken is quite moist." She said with an impressed smile. "Especially considering it's breast meat. I've found that always seems to dry out more than the rest of it."

Nataki's cheeks flushed a delicate red. "T-Thank you." Twirling a stray raven strand around her finger she added, "I found this technique in a magazine called 'Cuisine Queen' that seems to work really well."

"Hmm." Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I'd love for you to show it to me sometime."

"Of course!" She exclaimed, but then gasped upon feeling, as well as _hearing_ her stomach grumble in frustration of needing to be fed. "But I suppose we should heat up the ramen first."

"Yes, of course." Akana agreed as her lips curved into a small smile.

* * *

After the two had finished their meal and cleaned up, Nataki gave Akana what she deemed "the grand tour" of her apartment, starting with the living room and working toward her bedroom. Once she had showed Akana everything that needed to be seen, Nataki smiled and gestured for them to return to the living room and take a seat on the couch.

"I'm _so_ glad you came over." She began while plopping down onto a cushion beside Akana, who was leaning her head back and sitting with her legs crossed.

"Me too." Her golden eyes glimmered with a hint of amusement. "Thank you, Nataki-san."

"My pleasure."

A moment of silence filled the air before Akana began anew. "Well, shall we discuss the metaphorical 'elephant in the room?'" Combing her fingers through her golden locks she continued, "By which, of course, I am referring to your feelings of uncertainty regarding the nature of your magic."

Nataki let out an audible gasp and just stared at Akana for a moment without saying anything. _I never told her what was bothering me, but somehow she knew anyway . . ._ Clearing her throat, she tried to regain her composure. _Then again, maybe it was obvious to see, what, with how I reacted and all._

"Y-Yeah." Nataki finally agreed, although reluctantly. "It's just that, well, _your_ magic looks so _different_ from _mine_ . . ." Clenching her hands together on her lap she added, "It looks 'good,' you know? Bright, beautiful, _hopeful_, even. While _my_ magic . . ."

"Is _beautiful_ in its own right." Akana interrupted, as if unwilling to let her utter a single negative comment about it.

Shaking her head in protest, Nataki sighed. "No, it's not. It's so . . . gloomy, opaque, and ominous looking, just like . . . " Biting her bottom lip, as if trying to prevent the real reasoning for her concern from seeping out, she was a little taken aback by the fact that it came out anyway, and from Akana, no less.

"Just like Bakura's?" Although her question sounded more like a statement.

_So Akana-san thinks so, too. _Her dark blue eyes seemed to become suddenly crestfallen.

Sighing as if a bit irritated, Akana proceeded to say "I suppose it may _appear_ that way to you, but in actuality your magic is _quite_ distinct from his, or anyone else's for that matter." Smirking slightly she added, "You just can't see or feel that difference yet."

_Wait . . . what?_

"Really?"

Akana nodded.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" Nataki inquired as her eyes narrowed in scrutiny the slightest bit.

"No, Nataki-san." Reaching over and grasping one of Nataki's hands in her own she added, "_Your_ magic is no less 'beautiful' than _mine_." Bringing Nataki's hand to her cheek she leaned against it, relishing the softness of her skin, causing Nataki's face to flush slightly. "For how could light be defined without the concept of its absence?" Staring into her eyes, which were as a deep as a starless sky, Akana added, "Of _darkness_?"

Nataki swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. _She really thinks that __**my**__ magic is __**beautiful**__?_

Finally relenting to release Nataki's hand, Akana proceeded to clasp her hands together on her lap. "Ultimately, I don't want you to make negative connotations to dark magic. As I've told you before, magic in and of itself is neither inherently 'good' or 'evil' – it just 'is.' People who draw their energies from dark magic are no more prone to become 'evil' than individuals whose energies originate from light magic are likely to become 'good.' The fate of one's soul is decided by his or her choices in life, not by the source of his or her magic."

"Oh," _Then I'm **not** imbued with evil magic? _"So even though it looks sort of . . . creepy, it's _not_ bad?"

Akana sighed. "No, it's not 'bad.' Nor is it 'creepy.'"

Nataki blinked. "Okay. But does it _really_ look different from . . . _his_ magic?" A pause. "I mean, it honestly looked the same to me . . ."

"The more familiarized you become with your magic, the more comfortable you'll feel about it." Placing her hand on her chest Akana added," When you finally accept it as part of who you are instead of viewing it as something foreign or undesirable, then, and only then will you be able to _see_ your magic for what it truly is . . . for how unapologetically _raw_ and _beautiful_ it is."

_I have to accept it as part of myself? _

Staring down at the pale gray carpeting Nataki remained silent as she mulled over the weight of Akana's words.

_But how can I do that when I don't even understand it? _

Shutting her eyes she willed out the truth

. _. . . when I'm **afraid** of it._

As if sensing Nataki's trepidation, Akana stood up from her seat on the couch next to her and outstretched her arm above her head. Slowly she flexed her fingers before a faint golden light started to outline each one. Nataki stared in wonder, her eyes unable to look away from the gentle glow. Suddenly, a small, round ball of light appeared in Akana's palm, and gently danced in between her fingers before returning to float in the middle of her hand.

"This is a small, but visible and tangible sample of my magic. I chose a spherical shape, but could have manifested it in any form." Smiling as she pointed a finger up in the air, Nataki watched as the ball of light energy rolled up it and came to halt at the tip. "Cup your hands together." She ordered gently.

_She **can't** be serious._

"Okay." Nataki replied while doing as she was told, despite feeling a bit hesitant to comply. "Like this?"

Akana nodded and carefully tilted her hand down. The small ball of golden light began to roll downward, and just as it was about to descend into Nataki's waiting hands, it sort of flashed and grew bigger momentarily. She winced slightly, practically blinded by the intense pulse of light that radiated from it as it fell, and then she _felt_ it – a sense of warmth radiate from her hands through her entire body. As she opened her eyes Nataki gasped, realizing that the small ball of light was bouncing around almost playfully in her hands.

"Whoah!" She exclaimed, unable to contain her amazement. "It's . . . it's warm!""

_Like a tiny sun radiating light and heat in the palms of my hands!_

Akana smiled. "That's because my magic draws solely from light energy, which is linked closely to the sun." Almost instantly, the ball returned to her hands and vanished within seconds. Closing her eyes briefly she began anew. "Now it's _your_ turn."

"What do you mean?"

Akana shot her a coy smile. "I mean, now it's your turn to try materializing _your_ magic."

Nataki looked around the room in a preoccupied manner. While she wasn't so much worried about anyone _seeing_ her, she wasn't sure she wanted to risk _ransacking_ the place if she wasn't able to control it or something. "I don't know . . ."

"Trust me." Akana stated, the confidence in her eyes unwavering.

"Well, alright." Nataki finally acquiesced. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises that it'll work."

In an effort to emulate what Akana had done, Nataki stood up from the couch and outstretched her arm above her head. She wiggled her fingers to loosen up a bit, and then waited for the magic to happen . . . but it didn't.

_I don't feel **anything** . . ._

Glancing at Akana, whose face wore a timeless patience, she wondered if she was doing it right. She held her arm up one, two, three minutes more, but to no avail.

_Nothing._

"Maybe I'm a dud?" Nataki teased aloud, but there was a hint of seriousness behind her words and . . . disappointment?

_Wait . . . did I seriously **want** it to work?_

"You must _feel_ the energy inside you before you can pull it out." Akana said calmly. "Internalize before you can externalize."

Nataki sighed a bit in frustration – not at Akana, but rather at herself for not being able to do what Akana suggested. Closing her eyes tightly, she stood as tall as she could and tried her best to 'feel the magic inside of her,' but to no avail. If anything, all she could feel was the tightness in her stomach as her nerves got the better of her.

_I just can't do it._ Her mind repeated. _At least, not right now._

Picking up almost immediately on her discouragement, Akana placed a reassuring hand on Nataki's shoulder. "Patience, Nataki-san." She reminded her in a soothing voice. "You will not be able to feel the magic if it is hiding."

_Hiding?_

"What are you talking about?" Nataki inquired suddenly.

"It's not entirely your fault, mind you, but rather a circumstance of the nature of your existence each life time." Returning to her seat on the couch Akana nodded. "Yes, you see each rebirth seems to distance you from your magic and bury your memories more deeply. But you needn't worry – you always find your way back."

_What the heck does she mean by 'find my way back?'_

"But I don't consider myself 'lost,' Akana-san." Nataki countered, which caused Akana to raise an eyebrow curiously. "I mean, if anything, I'm just discovering more about myself."

For a moment Akana merely pursed her lips and stared into the deep blue of Nataki's eyes. After a moment, she finally replied. "Let me clarify. What I meant is that you always remember the _existential_ you that is always _constant_, despite the differences you may exhibit in terms of personality and other traits each life time." Reaching out for her hands and pulling her down onto the couch next to her Akana added, "This time around you are Nataki. In the previous rebirth, Natalia, and Narelle before that. But despite your diverse names, countries of birth, ethnicities, etc., you have always been the same soul . . . the same ba."

Nataki blinked and thought over what she had been told carefully. She supposed it made sense – wasn't that the whole concept of reincarnation? That the soul is reborn, but in different physical forms? Still, she found it hard to separate who she _thought_ she was from who she was at a _spiritual_ level. How could they _not_ be one in the same? The more she thought about it, the more her head began to hurt.

"Well, I believe that is enough for today." Akana said finally. "But don't discouraged, Nataki-san. I asked you to do something prematurely, and for that I apologize." Smiling in assurance she added, "You will be able to come to terms with your magic soon enough. " The way Akana said it sounded like a promise more than wishful thinking, and all Nataki could do was nod in hopes that she was right about it, just like she seemed to be right about other things.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi all! Thanks so much for being patient with me - it's been so crazy the past couple of weeks, but I've finally updated!

This is one of those chapters where you'll see a split between groups of characters to show movement/continuance of plot/action simultaneously. Kaiba and Yami are on their way to speak with Isis at the museum, meanwhile we have some Akana and Nataki time. Nat has a lot more to discover about herself, and with time she will. I hope you enjoy the journey along with her and the rest of the Yu-Gi-Oh! crew :)

Stay tuned and looking forward to hearing what you think!


	43. A Tentative Plan

**~Kaiba~**

Upon arriving at the Domino Museum, Kaiba noted the hours posted on one of the doors to get in and smirked – he and Yami had arrived a mere five minutes before closing. _Perfect._ He thought to himself while entering, with the King of Games following behind him. _Visitors should be gone, or in the process of leaving, which means we can speak with Isis uninterrupted. _Looking around as he walked through the exhibits, he saw a small group of individuals finishing up with what appeared to be a tour of the Art of Egypt exhibit being led by none other than Isis herself. _Big surprise. _Kaiba thought while rolling his eyes. Just as he was about to head over toward her, he heard Yami's voice protest.

"Wait, Kaiba. It looks like she's still in the midst of giving a tour."

"Hmph. This place is about to close, so she'd better hurry up." The CEO countered. Kaiba was an impatient person by nature, but the information he had acquired from Akana was burning a hole through him. _Besides, this is __**far**__ more important than whatever crap she's droning on about._

"Let's just wait for her to be finished." Yami continued. "I'm sure the tour is almost over."

Kaiba wasn't quite so sure about that, which was obvious in the way his face contorted into a frown out of frustration. _Right. She's only talking about all of that ancient Egyptian shit that fascinates her so much. Shouldn't take long _**_at all_**_. _His mind quipped sarcastically.

But Yami had been correct in his assumption. Soon enough, Isis was approaching them, her small group of teenage visitors trailing behind her. The moment they caught sight of Kaiba and Yami their eyes lit up with excitement. However, the cold look they received from the CEO quickly snuffed it out.

"Isis." He stated flatly.

"Seto." She acknowledged with a hint of surprise shining in her turquoise eyes. Slowly, she turned to face Yami and greeted him as well. "What brings you two gentlemen here?" She began anew. "I was just finishing up a tour, and was about to start closing up the place."

Narrowing his eyes at the small band of teenagers still standing beside her the CEO retorted, "There is a matter of great importance we need to discuss with you." He hoped she would pick up on the way he emphasized the word 'importance' as meaning 'destiny related crap,' not wanting to say too much in the presence of the teens, who didn't seem to be getting the hint to just leave. _The tour's over. _His glare should have told them._ Go home. _

"I see." Isis finally responded. "Well, I suppose I could spare a moment of my time." Gazing over at the group she started, "I _do_ hope you all found the exhibit interesting and meaningful, and I would be more than happy to discuss my knowledge regarding the artifacts displayed in it anytime." Gesturing toward Kaiba and Yami she added, "Unfortunately, I have just been informed that I am needed elsewhere."

"Ah, okay!" One of the boys replied. "Thanks again Ishtar-san!" Smiling at the two duelists, who had become legends he added, "By Yugi-san! Kaiba-san!"

"You're very welcome." She said kindly while watching them head out the door. Yami offered a polite wave, while Kaiba merely stood there silently. Once they had disappeared, Isis returned her attention to the two of them. "Why don't we head back to my office where we can talk in private?"

Kaiba and Yami merely nodded and waited for her to lead the way.

* * *

It shouldn't have come as a surprise that Isis had her office space downstairs past the two large murals that were hidden from the public eye. When they reached the door to it Isis smiled as she unlocked it. "It's a tad small, but it serves its purpose well." Ushering the two men inside, she closed the door behind her and seated herself behind a medium-sized desk, which seemed virtually free of any clutter or paperwork she added, "Well, then, what did you wish to see me about?" She inquired as she watched Kaiba and Yami seat themselves.

_Shouldn't it be obvious? _The CEO thought to himself before responding. "Kuzana and Shizukami."

Raising an eyebrow curiously, she gestured for him to continue.

"We learned some rather . . . _interesting_ things about them." He continued, his voice reflecting that he was still a bit unconvinced regarding the information.

_Like all the other magical mumbo jumbo that seems to happen around here . . ._

"Such as . . . ?" Isis prompted with piqued interest as she titled her head.

Before Kaiba could continue Yami decided to jump in. "Well, for starters, Akana told us that she and Nataki are demi-goddesses." Crossing his arms in front of his chest he added, "And that their destiny is to preserve the balance of the world."

At first, Isis said nothing, although her face clearly reflected that she was deep in thought. A moment later she offered, "I see."

"That's all you have to say?" Kaiba asked rather abruptly.

Narrowing her eyes as she gazed over at the CEO Isis sighed tiredly. "Exactly _what_ sort of response were you looking for, Seto?"

"I don't know. For starters, maybe a look of surprise or something that would suggest this is _new_ information to you?" Strumming his fingers against the arm rests of his chair he added, "Unless, of course, you _knew_ about this and decided to withhold it from us." His tone making it sound more like an interrogation than a simple question.

Crinkling her nose as if disgusted by the accusation, Isis shook her head and started messaging her temples. "Of course I didn't _know_ about something as critical as that, Seto, or else I would have told you and Yami about it _immediately_." Tracing her neck lightly, as if imagining the Millennium Tauk still rested there she continued, "While I am still imbued with the gift of foresight – if only slightly – none of the visions I have had regarding the two girls has suggested anything even _remotely_ similar to what Yami just said."

_Hmph. Some **gift** your 'visions of the occult' are, then._

"All I have seen is that the two girls harbor the ka of the Egyptian Gods inside of them." A pause. "Have you learned which ones?"

"Ra and Obelisk." Kaiba stated flatly. "Ra is apparently inside of Shizukami, and Obelisk in Kuzana. But what _really_ matters . . . " Standing up from his seat, he brazenly walked up to her desk and planted his hands on top of it while he staring her down with the kind of intensity that demanded compliance. "Is _how_ the Gods can be _pulled_ _out_ of them. Shizukami mentioned something about Yugi and I being able to call upon the beasts' powers 'if the need presents itself.'"

Yami eyed the CEO warily before shifting his attention to Isis, who was holding her own against the man just fine.

"But I have reason to believe that what happened at the museum over a month ago wasn't just the 'reawakening of the Egyptian Gods' as you suggested, but rather an accidental almost force-summon." Narrowing his eyes, Kaiba continued "Which makes sense if Yugi and I are connected to Shizukami and Kuzana by our ability to control the God Monsters, as you said."

Isis was silent for a moment, but she did finally reply, although somewhat reluctantly. "I suppose it's possible for that to have happened."

Kaiba growled slightly in frustration. "You _suppose_?"

_It either happened, or it didn't Isis._

"Kaiba." Yami tried, sensing his irritation. "Isis is willing to help us as much as she can. You becoming angry with her is not going to help us.

_Then maybe she should just answer the damn question._

"It's true, Seto." Isis agreed. "I regret to say that, while the knowledge you've acquired _is_ helping me understand the ambiguous situation you and Yami have found yourself in, I still lack enough information about Kuzana-san and Shizukami-san to _truly_ be an asset to either of you." Bowing her head slightly she added, "And for that, I apologize."

"Tch, fine then." The CEO hissed while pushing himself off the desk and walking toward the door to her office. "So basically this has been a _complete_ waste of my time."

_I expected **more** from you, Isis._

"Not so fast, Kaiba." Yami insisted while standing up from his seat.

"Why? Isis doesn't have anything I need – she said so herself."

_So_ _prolonging this discussion is pointless._

"We haven't told her _everything_ we've learned." The King of Games stated as-a-matter-of-factly, as if reminding him.

"Then please, do." Isis insisted. "As it will only help our situation."

Scarlet eyes shifted in her direction, and Yami nodded before proceeding to say, "In regards to their destiny of preserving balance, Akana mentioned something about how humans possess both light _and_ dark magic, but draw from one more so than the other. But her and Nataki draw their magic _solely_ from light or dark energy because their ba are actually _fragments_ derived from what was once one ba, or something like that."

Kaiba saw it the moment it happened – the look of surprise he had been expecting from Isis earlier. The impact of what Yami had said showed on her face with unmistakable clarity – the way her eyes had widened and her mouth had opened slightly as if to gasp, but no sound had emerged. Smirking, Kaiba could feel a rush of excitement start to flow through him in response to it.

"Something _wrong_, Isis?" He queried.

After a moment she composed herself and ran her fingers through a few dark locks of her hair in a soothing manner. "No. I just . . . remembered something." She said calmly. "About Shizukami-san, more specifically." Closing her eyes momentarily, she seemed to be deep in thought, "It's strange, but the first time I met her I had this feeling inside of myself . . . a feeling of familiarity, almost as if I had met her before, but couldn't quite understand _why_ or _how_ it was possible."

_So she remembers **something**. _

"What do you mean you've 'met her before?'" Kaiba demanded. "_When_?"

"Perhaps she means that to say that she has knowledge about Akana's past self." Yami suggested. "Remember how Akana mentioned that her and Nataki have been reincarnated multiple times? Isis recognized us as reincarnations of our past selves from three thousand years ago depicted on the Tablet of Memories."

With a grimace Kaiba turned toward him and muttered venomously, "Do you _always_ have to bring that up?" Truthfully, the CEO was no longer in denial over the plausibility of such a claim that he and Yugi were destined rivals. His belief in that was absolute. His feelings of pride – raw, tangible, undeniable as they permeated his bones and leaked into his very soul. The flames of battle that existed between the two of them was definitely there . . .

But he absolutely _refused_ to believe that his life was, in any way, predetermined by some so-called 'inescapable fate' carved onto an old rock. _I control my own destiny._ _I am not a helpless victim to it – I decide my future. _As he saw it, the past was only a memory, whereas the future was filled with endless possibilities that he alone could make a reality.

"I was just making a connection between the nature of _their_ existence to _ours_, Kaiba." Yami said gently. "No need to get upset about it."

"In any case," Isis started after clearing her throat. "The image I just saw depicted Shizukami-san, or at least a _past_ form of her. I didn't see much, as the vision was brief and fleeting, but I am certain that it was her . . ." Looking into Yami's scarlet eyes almost sympathetically she added, "And she was standing in the palace throne room beside _you_, Yami."

"_What_?" Yami gasped. "You saw Akana as part of _my_ past?" Suddenly, he recalled how Akana had mentioned that she knew much more about his past than she was able to disclose to him. The thought of her being an integral part of it, however, had never occurred to him.

_That's what she just said, Yugi. _Kaiba thought to himself, not understanding why he seemed so hung up on the idea.

"Yes, I believe there is a strong connection between you and Shizukami-san that dates back three millennia." Turning her head to face Kaiba she continued, "And I imagine there is reason to believe that you and Kuzana-san likely share a similar bond, Kaiba."

"Hmph, how many times do I have to say it, Isis?" Waving his hand dismissively in the air he added, "The past means _nothing_ to me. All I care about is the _here_ and _now_."

_All that matters is the present Kuzana because she has something I want. By which, of course, I am referring to the immense power of an Egyptian God._

A somewhat disheartened smile claimed Isis's face, as if she had read his thoughts. Shaking her head she replied, "Very well." Closing her eyes momentarily, Isis began anew. "At this point, I would recommend conducting some research on the history of the Egyptian Gods, especially Ra and Obelisk since you said those are the two that reside inside of the girls, yes?" Both Yami and Kaiba nodded. "In the meantime, I will investigate this on my own. I already have a trip to Egypt scheduled for next week, so I will try to find out more information while I am there so I may better assist the two of you."

"Thank you, Isis." Yami said with a small smile. "For everything."

Kaiba merely grunted a 'Thank you.' before turning on his heel to leave.

"Hold on, Seto." She exclaimed, causing him to stop suddenly.

"More words of wisdom?" He asked snidely.

Clasping her hands together on the desk she sighed. "To answer your main question directly, I do not know _how_ you would be able to summon Obelisk from inside of Kuzana-san, but I do have reason to believe that it is _your_ responsibility to make sure it is kept _in-check_."

_Oh really? _Casting a quick glance of cobalt at Yami, who seemed a bit taken aback by the assertion, he turned his body so that he was facing her. "Go on."

_**Say** **it**._

"However, until you are no longer consumed by the desire to unleash and possess the God's power, I feel that Yami should hold onto it."

_**What?**_

"Do you find this arrangement acceptable, Yami?"

Kaiba was seething with anger as he saw the King of Games nod slowly.

_Damn you, Isis. _He cursed internally. _Damn you, Yugi._

"Then it's settled." She concluded while standing up from her desk before proceeding to see the two duelists out.

* * *

As they made their way toward the entrance, Kaiba's eyes stared out in front of him as he tried to subdue the anger rising up inside of him.

"Seto." Isis's voice called out, but he didn't stop. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of even one more second of his precious time. But she continued nonetheless, "There's no need for Kuzana-san to suffer at the hand of your quest for power. This isn't just about _you_, Seto. She and Shizukami exist to preserve the balance of the world."

Deep down, Kaiba _knew_ what she had said was true. He just didn't care to hear it, so he pretended not to. Shutting the door behind him, the CEO headed toward the limousine, which was still waiting for him.

"Shall I wait for Yugi-san?" Isono asked suddenly upon hearing his boss seat himself inside.

"No." He replied, his voice sounding adjacent to a low growl. Peering out the tinted window at the museum in disgust he added, "He can walk."

* * *

**A/N:** WHAT THE HECK? A SPEEDY UPDATE?! Hooray! :D

So from this point Isis Ishtar (along with Marik and Rishid) will no longer be physically present in Domino City - they are all going to be in Egypt trying to unearth more about the nameless pharaoh's destiny, as well as Akana and Nataki's destinies. But she may still sneak into chapters via phone calls or something.

This chapter featured a tiny bit of foreshadowing, but mostly Kaiba being a dick. :P


	44. Neopolitan

Monday morning was welcomed by Nataki, who was eager to resume her weekly routine. After the hectic, not to mention somewhat _Earth-shattering_ weekend, she was ready to return to a more mundane existence. She just hoped that her desire to do so would be met. Now that all the 'key players,' so to speak, were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities, Nataki wondered if it was even _possible_ for life to feel 'normal' again.

_I mean, Yugi-kun seems to live like an average seventeen year-old despite his destiny. _She thought to herself while walking down the streets of Domino toward Kaiba Corporation. _Although, Anzu-chan, Jounouchi-kun, and Honda-kun are all allowed to know about it. My situation is a **tad** different . . . _Remembering how Akana had needed to 'bury' Haine's memories of the incident at the pier, a sudden feeling of sadness crept inside of Nataki, but she shook it off as best she could. Hell or high water, she was determined to stay positive as much as possible.

* * *

After signing in at the front desk Nataki headed toward the elevator. As she stepped inside, she was surprised to see Mokuba standing in it waiting for her. He smiled and waved politely while holding the door.

"Good morning, Mokuba-san!" Nataki greeted pleasantly. "How are you this morning?"

"Okay, I guess." He replied softly. "Yourself?"

"Fine, thank you." She said while smiling down at him. "How did working on your Capsule Monsters project go yesterday?"

"It's . . . going." Mokuba answered half joking. "More or less. I was able to tweak a few bugs in the processor. It was lagging a bit, so the graphics wouldn't load as quickly as they were supposed to." Smirking up at her he added, "But it's all set for beta testing whenever you're ready."

Nataki laughed nervously, knowing full well that he wasn't going to let it go until she followed through with her promise. "Okay, maybe I can do it tomorrow? If not, then definitely some time this week, as long as your brother approves."

"Fair enough." He agreed.

* * *

As the elevator came to a smooth stop to let off a few employees, Nataki began anew. "So, were you able to go roller skating at all?"

Narrowing his eyes in disappointment, the boy sighed. "No. But Seto promised to take me next weekend, so it all works out."

"Oh." Nataki clutched her bento box a bit more tightly in her hand and shot him an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry, Mokuba-san."

He waved his hand dismissively as if to say 'It's no big deal,' but it did little to assuage her guilt. Nataki never wanted anything going on in _her_ life to intrude upon or upset anything going on in someone _else's_, even if it _was_ necessary. So naturally, the realization that her meeting with Kaiba, Yugi, and Akana had interrupted Mokuba's weekend plans with his brother did not bode well with her, and Nataki resolved herself to make it up to him somehow. _I wouldn't be able to do __**much**__, but maybe . . ._

"Well, I still feel bad." She continued. "So maybe I could treat you and your brother to an ice cream cone after work or something?"

Mokuba's eyes lit up almost instantly at the mere mention of the dairy dessert, for the boy _loved_ ice cream, and often pleaded for his brother to buy it more often. His mouth had begun to water just thinking about the taste of such a cold and creamy confection. Still, he hadn't forgotten himself. "That's really nice of you to offer Nataki-san, but totally unnecessary."

But having seen that glimmer of excitement in his vibrant violet eyes, Nataki wouldn't take 'No.' for an answer. "I insist." She countered with a wink.

The sudden feeling of the young boy's arms wrapped around her waist caused her to gasp. While she she was surprised by the gesture, it was well-received, and Nataki felt her heart swell with happiness. Before she could return the hug Mokuba had already pulled away. "Thanks _so_ much, Nataki-san! You're the best!" He exclaimed in a singsong voice. "I can't _wait_ to tell Seto!"

"You're very welcome, Mokuba-san." Nataki replied cheerfully.

* * *

The moment the doors to the elevator opened on the CEO's floor, Mokuba bolted out and headed toward the door to his office, with Nataki trailing behind. "Nii-sama!" He greeted while skipping over to Kaiba's desk. "Guess what?"

Raising an eyebrow curiously, Kaiba wondered what the reason for the boy's excitement could possibly be, but he knew it was a rhetorical question – Mokuba would answer before he had a chance to ask. So, he merely waited for an explanation.

"Nataki-san offered to treat us to ice cream after work!" Mokuba continued, his dark onyx strands bouncing up and down in time with him. "Can we go? Please~"

Kaiba's eyes glanced over at Nataki, who was standing with her bento clasped in his hands, but had not said a word upon entering. "Is this true?" He inquired with a skeptical look on his face.

Nataki nodded.

"_Why_?"

The question was blunt, but Nataki didn't hesitate to respond. "Well, I feel bad that you two weren't able to keep the plans you made over the weekend, so I want to make it up to you somehow."

"There's nothing for _you_ to 'feel bad' about." Kaiba stated flatly. "The meeting came up unexpectedly, so I moved our plans to next weekend."

"Yes, he told me." Nataki acknowledged him. "Even so, I _really_ want to do this." She countered, a small smile on her face. "Unless you'd prefer something else?" _Something_ _that hopefully isn't __**too**__ expensive. _

Mokuba eyed his brother with a pleading smile. "_Please, _Seto? It's just ice cream, and she _really_ wants to!"

Kaiba sighed heavily. Truthfully, the man didn't much care for sweets, let alone those of the frozen variety. But he knew that declining the offer would get him nowhere. What, with Nataki's strong sense of _virtue_ and Mokuba's _stubbornness_, the CEO knew that by declining the offer he was just delaying the inevitable. _May as well get it over with._ He thought to himself tiredly. "If you really want to go _that_ badly."

"_Woohoo_!" Mokuba cheered before turning toward Nataki and shooting her a huge grin. "Thanks again, Nataki-san!" Just as quickly as he had entered the room, the boy disappeared, running out of the office and vanishing from her sight.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and returned to analyzing the charts he had pulled up on the computer before she and Mokuba had arrived.

Not quite sure where to go from there, Nataki opted to place her bento box inside the mini fridge and ask, "So, what _did_ you do after the meeting yesterday?"

"Not much." He lied, remembering what Isis had told him about researching the Egyptian Gods more extensively to find out more about them and, hopefully, the two demi-goddesses who harbored their ka. Glancing momentarily at the new tab that he created solely for that purpose Kaiba continued, "Mostly reflected on everything Shizukami mentioned, and debated whether or not to actually _believe_ it." Looking up from the screen Kaiba peered over at her with feigned interest. "You?"

"Pretty much the same thing." Nataki answered with a level voice, debating whether or not to offer him anything more. She knew how much the CEO disdained the occult, and thought it best not to tell him about how she had tried to materialize her own magic after Akana had demonstrated. _He already thinks the whole thing is crazy anyway. It's probably for the best not to 'fuel the fire.' _

Something about the way Kaiba's cobalt eyes lingered on her face a bit longer disconcerted her. It almost seemed like he was trying to tell if she was lying or not. After a moment, however, he resigned himself to typing on the computer, and Nataki exhaled the breath of air she had been holding in while settling into her desk.

_She's blissfully ignorant of what I'm doing . . . _Kaiba thought to himself while peering over momentarily, contented with the fact that Nataki was preoccupied with her work. _Good_. _I'll find out what I need to know about her and Shizukami on my own, without them even knowing. _

So throughout the workday the CEO toggled multiple tabs, bouncing between work and his quest to find out whatever he could about legends of Egyptian gods, as well as any ancient Egyptian folklore about preserving the world's balance.

* * *

Around one o' clock, Nataki decided to finally take her lunch break. Monday mornings were always the busiest, so she generally opted to take a later lunch. Retrieving her bento box from the fridge, she glanced over at Kaiba, who seemed deeply immersed in his work. What that _was_, she had no idea, but assumed it was something important, and that he didn't want to be disturbed. Yet . . .

"Would you like to have lunch with me?" She asked congenially. It had been an incredibly quiet morning – the CEO had said very few words to her. And while he _was_ generally a very focused, silent presence, Nataki had felt that Kaiba had been uncharacteristically speechless for the greater part of the morning.

"No, I'm not taking lunch today." He answered after a moment's pause, his eyes still fixed on the screen of his computer. "But thanks for the offer."

"Okay." Nataki answered while trying to conceal her disappointment. "Well, at the very least, I'm glad you'll be eating an ice cream cone later."

"Maybe." Kaiba said in the same flat tone he usually spoke, his fingers attacking the keyboard relentlessly.

"What?"

With an exasperated sigh, the CEO minimized the tabs on his computer and finally glanced over at her. "I'm not fond of it, or anything particularly sweet for that matter."

"Really?" She wondered aloud. Yet the more she thought about it, the more Nataki supposed it made sense. _I mean, he **does** drink his coffee black. And I think I remember Mokuba-san telling me how junk food is only allowed in the house on special occasions, so maybe he really **doesn't** like sweets._ "Even _vanilla_ ice cream?" She suggested.

Crossing his arms in front of his chest he retorted "Vanilla _is_ sweet, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah." She replied sheepishly. "But it's not _overly_ sweet by itself unless you add something to it, like toppings or . . ." But she stopped herself upon noticing the slightly perturbed expression appear on his face. It honestly wasn't worth arguing over, so she bit her bottom lip before adding, "Never mind."

Surprisingly, when Kaiba caught a glimpse of the disappointment flickering in those impossibly dark blue eyes of hers he relented. "If you're _that_ insistent, fine. I'll have one."

A glimmer of hope quickly replaced the shred of sadness and she smiled. "Yay!" Half skipping toward the door to his office she continued, "You can order whatever flavor you'd like, though! The place I'm taking you and Mokuba-san has 24 flavors for the soft serve."

"Where are you going?" Kaiba asked somewhat abruptly upon noticing her about to leave. _She's not going to run away or have some sort of magical episode is she? _He honestly didn't know _what_ to expect (or whether he should be expecting anything at _all_) now that he knew what Nataki _was_, as well as what was _inside_ her.

Nataki blinked, a bit taken aback by the question. "Oh, I was going to eat lunch on the roof, if that's okay?" Laughing nervously she added, "I enjoyed it _so_ much last time I thought it might be nice to do it again." _Should I have asked him first? Oh god, I hope he's not mad . . ._

For a moment, he seemed to be mulling it over as if to weigh the pros and cons. Reasoning that her absence from the office would present him with a _perfect_ opportunity to resume his investigation of the Egyptian God Monsters and the like uninhibited he finally agreed. "Fine, but make sure you're back by 1:45."

"Of course, Kaiba-san." She assured him as she closed the door behind her, unknowingly leaving him with an empty office to continue his research.

* * *

"I can't believe we're _actually_ here!" Mokuba exclaimed as he trotted ahead of Nataki and Kaiba toward the menu of ice cream flavors near the counter. The parlor itself was quite small, but it gave off a quaint vibe, which was the very reason Nataki loved it so much (in addition to the delicious ice cream, of course). There were very few things in Domino City that reminded of her of her hometown, Furubira, and Happi Aisukurimu was one of the few things that did just that. As his violet eyes scanned the list Mokuba began to hum a chipper sounding tune, which made Nataki smile.

_I'm glad Mokuba-san is enjoying this so much. _She thought to herself while glancing at him momentarily. Shifting her attention to the boy's older brother, Nataki wondered if Kaiba was actually going to stay true to his word and try a vanilla cone, or perhaps something else off the menu. Truthfully, she hadn't spoken to the CEO all that much after her return from lunch – having found him in an almost trance-like state, completely fixated on whatever it was he was doing. Nataki had decided to just leave him to his work uninterrupted. Needless to say, the rest of the day had sort of dragged – while he by no means encouraged extensive conversations in the office, it was not uncommon for her to engage in occasional bouts of small talk with Kaiba throughout the work day. Today, however, had not been one of those days, and as much as she hated to admit it, Nataki had missed talking to him. She hoped it wasn't obvious, though, as she attempted to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to the CEO outside of work. "Did you want to look at the menu, too?"

Kaiba shook his head. "I'll stick with a plain vanilla cone."

"Okay!" She replied while retrieving her wallet from inside her purse. "I think I'll get a strawberry cone today."

Raising an eyebrow Kaiba shot her curious glance. "_Today_?" Smirking at her in a somewhat teasing manner he added, "How _often_ do you come here?"

A delicate pink tinge appeared on her cheeks and she began to laugh nervously. "Oh, not _too_ often. Maybe once a week?" But he shot her an incredulous look as if to reply 'Yeah right, it's probably way more often than that.' _I shouldn't have told him. _She scolded herself internally while becoming more flustered._ Now he probably thinks I'm a junk food junkie!_

"Well, if you come here so much, it must be good." The CEO stated flatly.

Nataki's eyes lit up – she hadn't expected him to say something that wasn't mocking or sarcastic. Taking his reaction as a good sign she decided to keep the conversation going. "Yes, it really is! And it's all natural – no artificial sweeteners or flavors, no certified synthetic colors . . ."

"I know what _all-natural_ means." Kaiba countered as he glanced over in the direction of his younger brother, who was still weighing his options. "Mokuba, hurry up and pick something." He shouted over at him, but only received a lone finger in the air signaling that he needed another minute. "The line is moving. We're _next_."

"Okay, sheesh!" Mokuba finally acknowledged him verbally while sauntering over. "They have twenty-four flavors, Seto. I wanted to know my choices." He added.

"Oh, they're all good, Mokuba-san." She asserted. Noticing that Kaiba was eyeing her in a teasing manner once more she looked down at her feet. "I mean, all of the ones I've tried have been good."

"I'll bet!" He chirped. "But in the end, I decided to stay true to my favorite – chocolate."

_So **chocolate** is his favorite. _She thought to herself, happy to have learned more about the young boy who she had come to enjoy so much.

"What kind are you getting, Nataki-san?" The boy asked, bright eyes gazing up at her expectantly.

"Strawberry~" She half hummed. "That's _my_ favorite."

"Cool!" Mokuba seemed as happy about learning this tidbit of information about her, just as Nataki had about him. Turning to look at his brother, Mokuba wondered aloud "What are _you_ getting, nii-sama?"

"Vanilla." Kaiba answered plainly.

"Wow, that's BORING." Mokuba jeered while ribbing him playfully, causing the CEO to flinch and then scowl at him. "You're such a _buzzkill_, Seto."

"As if chocolate is _so_ much more exciting." Kaiba scoffed indignantly. "Neither one is something out of the ordinary. They're both boring."

"Nu-uh!" Mokuba shook his head in protest. "Chocolate is _way_ better than vanilla! Why do you think most people order vanilla ice cream _with_ toppings rather than _without_? It's because vanilla by itself is boring. It needs to be offset by other, more distinctive flavors in order to taste good. Sort of like the chocolate parfaits I love so much – the chocolate sauce makes the vanilla ice cream really sweet~"

"Actually, you have it backwards." Kaiba snorted dismissively. "Vanilla is the flavor the complements all the others. Without it, the different flavors would simply lose their appeal."

"No way!" Mokuba argued back.

As the mini debate continued, Nataki found herself struck by the fact that, although different in many ways, the Kaiba brothers were also _very_ similar, especially when it came to their stubbornness and egos. _It's uncanny!_ She thought to herself in amusement while half-listening to their flavor feud. _They really __**are**__ brothers, that's for sure. _Despite being five years younger than his brother, Mokuba hardly lacked Kaiba's tenacity, sense of pride, and verbosity. Seeing them squabble playfully like this made her smile. _It's __**s**__**o**__ good to see them out of the office acting like brothers do. _Upon noticing that she was next, Nataki stepped up to the window and placed her order for one vanilla cone, one chocolate cone, and one strawberry cone.

* * *

"Mm, this is _so_ good!" Mokuba exclaimed before taking a generous chomp out of his ice cream.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it!" Nataki laughed light-heartedly while peering over at him. "But _do_ make sure to look up from it once in a while. You almost walked right into a street light a few blocks back!"

Mokuba wore a sheepish grin that, coupled with the chocolate ice cream clinging to his lips, made him positively humorous looking, and Nataki couldn't hide her amusement. Kaiba, on the other hand, was clearly _not_ entertained by any of it, and urged for his brother to wipe his face for the umpteenth time while shoving a napkin at his face. "Mokuba, you're making a mess." He groaned in protest.

"It's fine, Kaiba-san." Nataki offered. "He's just enjoying his ice cream."

"Well, he doesn't have to enjoy it _that_ much." The CEO retorted.

"He's just a kid." She suggested gently. Truthfully, she didn't know _how_ old Mokuba was, but he looked like he was still in elementary school, so he couldn't have been older than twelve.

"That _hardly_ excuses him." Kaiba stated point blank while resisting the urge to pull his brother aside to wipe the brown smudges off his face himself. "_He's_ as much a public figure as _I_ am. Needless to say, the vice president of Kaiba Corporation shouldn't be walking around the city with melted ice cream plastered on his face."

_Mokuba-san is the **vice** **president**? _In actuality, that shouldn't have come as a surprise to her – the boy's brother _was_ the president of the company, so it made sense. Still, as she peered over at Mokuba, whose bright eyes were filled with the kind of exuberance children seem to possess so naturally, it seemed incredible that someone _so_ young could be entrusted with _so_ much responsibility. And yet, she had seen _firsthand_ how hardworking the boy was, how driven he was to finish his Capsule Monsters project. _The Kaiba brothers truly are amazing . . . _She thought to herself in wonderment.

"I get what you're saying." She finally agreed. "But in all fairness, it would melt if he _didn't_ eat it, just like yours is doing."

Narrowing his eyes in contempt at the cone dribbling sticky, sweet vanilla soft serve onto his hand the CEO let a growl of frustration escape him. "Damn it." He cursed while trying to wrap the base of the cone with napkins. "I _knew_ I should have grabbed more napkins." Kaiba mumbled under his breath.

"No, you need to start _eating_ it." Nataki corrected him with a slight chuckle. While she suggested they eat their ice cream cones at the parlor, the CEO had protested – he _hardly_ found it acceptable for someone of his social standing and importance to be seen in such a mundane, almost trivial manner of being. While he wasn't nearly as amused as Nataki was by the whole thing transpiring, Kaiba acquiesced and began rotating the cone as his tongue trailed around it. A small pout claimed his face when some of the melted ice cream stuck to the corners of his mouth, causing her to laugh.

"Aww, you two really _are_ brothers." Nataki teased. _I wish I could take a picture of them._ Just as she was about to reach for her cell phone in her purse Kaiba, having anticipated what she wanted to do (and not liking it one bit) abruptly uttered 'Don't.' With a sad sigh she relented, allowing her hand to fall limp at her side. "Oh _come_ on." She teased. "I _promise_ I won't let anyone else see it."

"NO." Kaiba hissed, his tone unwavering. "And don't you have an ice cream cone _you_ should be eating?" He asked suddenly, causing her to look down at her somewhat melted cone.

"Oh!" Nataki gasped, almost forgetting that she had some left. Hastily, she began eating the remainder of her strawberry soft serve while continuing her walk back to Kaiba Corp. with the two Kaiba brothers. The sound of their footsteps were muffled by random chuckles and moments of chit chat, and all Nataki could think to herself was how badly she wished moments like these could last forever. And while she wouldn't have a picture to remember it by, she knew she would never forget the day she took Seto and Mokuba Kaiba out for ice cream.

* * *

**A/N**: Hi everyone! This was just a brief filler chapter that has some Nataki and Kaiba brothers bonding ~ one last calm before the storm, I suppose. xD Kaiba IS doing his research in the backdrop (although it wasn't the focus of the chapter).

Next update will return to the magical elements of Nataki and Akana's existence, as well as introduce some of the plot-related conflict. I hope you are looking forward to it, and that you enjoyed this chapter! Always eager to hear your thoughts :)

Note:

buzzkill = a person or thing that has a depressing or dispiriting effect

Happi Aisukurimu = Happy Ice Cream :D


	45. Surprise Strike!

"Oh. My. God." The words came from Haine's mouth heavily articulated to emphasize her frustration, which practically everyone on the same floor of the library had become painfully aware of by now.

Glancing over at her with a disapproving, although not entirely unsympathetic look, Nataki sighed heavily. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if she could devote even one more iota of her energy into finishing up the last section of her math homework – her and Haine had been at it for a couple of hours, and were both feeling a tad restless, to say the least. Still, the fact that Akana had agreed to meet on such short notice in an effort to help them finish their summer homework was more than enough to keep Nataki on task. If only the same could have been said for Haine, who looked like she was ready to fling herself out of a nearby window. Akana must have sensed it, for she came to a smooth break in her reading of the word problem.

"Something wrong, Suzude-san?" She queried with the slightest hint of irritation in her voice.

"Nope." Haine huffed before adding, "Other than the fact that this crap is irrelevant unless you plan on becoming an architect or something."

Akana casually shrugged her shoulders. "Well, considering the predicament you've found yourself in, I'd say your feelings on the matter are quite _irrelevant_." Combing her bangs back from her face she proceeded to add, "You need to complete your homework if you don't want to be penalized. It wouldn't exactly be the best way to start the second term."

With a dismissive 'Hmph.' Haine merely leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Nataki looked at Akana and offered her an apologetic smile for Haine's outburst. In an instant, she had cleared her throat and began anew.

"Well, I suppose I should reread the prompt from the beginning." Which received an audible groan from Haine and an "It's your own fault" glance from Nataki. "Kimiko is looking at the top of a tall building . . ."

"_Why_?" Haine half mumbled, causing Nataki to pinch her on the arm gently. "Does she make a hobby out of looking at tall things?"

"Haine-chan . . ." Nataki muttered.

"Ugh, _fine_." She replied with a pout as she retrieved her pencil from across the table and waited for Akana to continue.

"Her eyes are 4 feet above the ground. The angle of elevation is 80 degrees, and she is 12 feet from the building." Akana proceeded to look up from reading the word problem to make sure that both sets of eyes were still on her before continuing. "So the question is 'How tall is the building?'" Raising an eyebrow expectantly she waited for one of them to offer a response.

Opting to give it a try Nataki began, "Well, first you have to draw the triangle . . ." After sketching a visual for the word problem she continued, "A right triangle, specifically. We know the base of the triangle is 12 because the girl is standing 12 feet from the building, but we don't know the hypotenuse. We know some of the height, but not all of it. And we know that the one angle near the girl is 80 degrees, and the other is 90 degrees."

"That's right." Akana nodded. "So based on the information you already have, how should you proceed?"

Nataki became pensive for a moment as she looked over the diagram she had drawn. "Well, we need to find the height, or 'x', which means of the three equations for right triangles, we should use tan because it is opposite / adjacent."

"Yes, that's right!" Akana clapped gently. "Excellent." Turning her head toward Haine, who looked like she was about to die of boredom she continued, "Would you take it from here, Suzude-san?" It sounded more like a statement than a request, however, which Haine picked up on immediately. Sitting up straight, she reached for Nataki's sheet of paper to look at the problem more closely.

"Okay, so . . . you write out the equation like this." Once she had written it down, Haine proceeded to read it aloud. "'Tan 80 = x / 12,' which you then punch into the calculator." After inputting the equation she continued "Tan 80 is about 5.67, so you have to multiply both sides of the equation by 12, which cancels out the 12 beneath the x. So the answer would be 68 feet."

"Hmm . . ." Akana mused while staring at her expectantly. "Look again at the diagram."

Haine blinked before peering at it once more and suddenly let a lackluster "Oh." escape her as she realized her mistake. "It's 72, because you still need to add the 4 to it – from the weirdo girl staring at the building."

Raising an eyebrow Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully. "72 _what_?"

When Haine narrowed her eyes Akana sighed. "Don't be careless and lose points unnecessarily for neglecting to label your units."

"FEET." She retorted. "72 FEET." Then, Haine stood up from her seat and groaned while stretching.

"Great job, Haine-chan!" Nataki exclaimed.

Akana chuckled lightly. "Way to stay positive in the face of adversity, Nataki-san." Smiling faintly she added, "I admire that in a person."

As her cheeks tinged a delicate red in response to Akana's compliment, Nataki looked down at her math sheet to make sure she had showed all of her work correctly.

"My ass has been asleep for the past hour, so I'm going to try to wake it up by taking a quick walk upstairs." Haine stated flatly before peering at Nataki. "Wanna come with me?"

Nataki shifted her gaze toward Akana, whose face seemed to neither approve or disapprove of the notion.

_Well, a brief jaunt wouldn't hurt. My legs could use a chance to stretch and walk around, too. _

"Sure!" Standing up from her chair, Nataki proceeded to push it in and follow Haine, but not before telling Akana, "We'll be right back!"

"Okay." She agreed while casually settling into a seat at the table. "You have five minutes, and then it's back to work."

"_Yeah_, _yeah_." Haine spat while waving her hand dismissively and pulling Nataki along after her.

* * *

Once they had ascended the staircase Haine sighed deeply. "Oy vey." She grimaced. "I feel like my head will _literally_ explode if I do even _one_ more math problem."

Nataki nodded. "I know, but we should be thankful that Akana-san is willing to spend her Sunday afternoon helping with our homework."

Rolling her eyes, Haine proceeded over toward one of the book shelves. "I know." She finally agreed before tracing her hand along the spines of the books facing outward. Her eyes seemed to be scanning the titles nonchalantly until all of the sudden, Nataki saw her stop, pull a book out from the shelf, and begin to skim the back of it. "This looks sort of interesting." Haine mused before clearing her throat and proceeding to read the description aloud in what she called a 'authorly tone.' "Compelling, insightful, and unapologetically real, _Forgiven_ is a story that challenges our beliefs, and questions our sense of integrity."

"Wow, that sounds pretty deep!" Nataki exclaimed while leaning in closer to get a better look for herself. "Are you going to check it out?"

"Maybe." Haine sort of shrugged. "It can't be worse than the math problems we've been reading, right?"

This elicited a small chuckle from Nataki. "Highly unlikely, anyway."

"You gonna get anything?" She inquired while heading back toward the staircase.

Nataki became pensive while following after her. _I honestly have no idea what I'd even like to read. _She thought to herself warily. _Second term starts in less than a week,_ so_ I'm more concerned with making sure I've completed all of my summer homework._ Suddenly, Nataki bumped into Haine, who was stopped dead in her tracks.

"Sorry." She said immediately, though not quite sure why Haine had come to a sudden halt.

And then she saw it – a huge bird-like creature perched on a tree outside, but _much_ larger, and _far_ more _ferocious_ looking than any bird she had ever seen before. In fact, she could have sworn it reminded her of a duel monster card she had seen . . .

"Isn't that . . . ?" Nataki whispered timidly in Haine's ear while maintaining eye contact with the bizarre creature.

"Yeah." Haine interjected before she could continue. "It's a Whiptail Crow." Narrowing her eyes skeptically, however, she continued "But what's it doing in a tree?"

"Maybe someone is having a duel outside?" Nataki offered, although something about the bird didn't seem quite right. "Although . . ." For some reason she couldn't explain, she didn't _feel_ like she was looking at a solid vision hologram of the duel monster. The way its beady eyes bore into her with a glint of malice was too unsettling to come from an illusion, regardless of the high quality graphics used to produce such an image.

"Let's just go back to Akana-san." She began anew. "She _is_ waiting for us, after all."

"Yeah." Haine replied half-heartedly, hesitant to take her eyes off the thing for even a second, which reinforced Nataki's feelings of uncertainty about it. Before they could move, however, the bird suddenly leapt off the tree branch from where it had perched and began flapping its wings.

"That's _no_ hologram!" Haine gasped while bolting away from the window. "Get down!"

In a matter of seconds, the Whiptail Crow had flown through the window, shattering the glass and sending it everywhere. With a high-pitched shriek, it began beating its wings vigorously, sending glass and anything light weight into the air instantaneously. The gusts were so strong that they ripped books from the shelves and started to collapse some of them in the process.

All at once commotion erupted within the library as people attempted to run down the staircase toward the exit, only to be knocked down by oncoming gusts of wind created from the ceaseless beating of the creature's wings. The screams of fearful library goers were deafened by the bird's shrill screech.

Rolling underneath a still intact table, Nataki watched in horror as the library was destroyed, and people were flung about the room as if they were weightless. Looking around, she realized that Haine was out of sight. Panic spread through her like a plague, and all at once she knew she _had_ to do _something_.

_But **what**?_

Coming to a crouch beside the table in hopes of getting a better view of the duel monster wreaking havoc around her, Nataki began to wonder if Akana was okay downstairs. She imagined that she would appear at any second, but thought that maybe she was dealing with another situation downstairs. Before Nataki could think too much on the matter, however, the crow landed in front of her and lunged its beak toward her. Not having much time to react, she ducked underneath the table and felt a shock of horror as the sound of the creature's beak pierced through it.

"Nat!" Haine's voice called to her from across the room.

"Haine-chan!"Nataki felt a little relief in knowing that at least _one_ of her friends was out of harm's way, at least for the moment, but this feeling was soon replaced with renewed fear as the bird continued to jab at the table, growing increasingly frustrated by its inability to hit her. When it proceeded to release an ear-splitting squawk, Nataki tried to block out the sound with her hands, but the noise was too deafening and she felt a sharp pain cut through her head. Rolling away from the bird as best she could, she tried to escape, but the feeling of something sharp clamping down on her shoulder stopped her dead in her tracks. Soon enough she felt herself being yanked backward and realized in a sudden horror that there were multiple Whiptail Crows inside the library!

_The one in the tree must have been a scout. _

As her mind raced, she struggled to escape the clutches of her bird-like captor, but only felt its sharp talons dig into her more in response. All the while, she saw two more of the monsters making their way toward her, noticing she had been immobilized. Nataki tried not to scream, but the pain in her shoulder had become too much to bear as the bird whipped her around in its deathly grip. Slowly but surely, she felt her willpower slipping away.

_Is this it?_ Her mind echoed. _Is this **really** where it all ends? _

As if to answer her question, a bright flash of light suddenly enveloped the entire room, immediately followed by the shrieks of the Whiptail Crows. Almost immediately, she saw the creatures practically dissolve into the flood of golden light and vanish into thin air. She sat dazed for a moment until the room was visible once more. Akana appeared in front of her, a golden scepter clutched tightly in her grasp, eyes radiating the golden light that had enveloped the room.

"Nataki-san . . ." She breathed, her voice cracking the slightest bit as she collapsed onto the ground beside her. Without so much as a moment's hesitation, Akana checked her over and narrowed her eyes in anger upon noticing her shoulder, which was quite bloody – the force of the talons that had grabbed her having created a few punctures in her skin. Upon careful inspection, she finally sighed in relief and began to heal the damaged flesh. "Thankfully nothing seems to be broken."

Nataki wanted to ask Akana so many things – her mind was racing with questions over _what _had just happened and, perhaps more importantly, _why_. But before she could open her mouth, she felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Nataki-san." The words poured from Akana's mouth with fluid remorse, and Nataki just sat there and allowed the healing properties of Akana's light magic to course through her without any resistance.

"Don't be." She replied softly, feeling that she had been completely helpless throughout the whole thing. Forcing out a small smile she added, "I just hope everyone is okay . . ." Looking around at the disaster of a library that lay in their wake, she felt even more guilty about not having done anything to stop the crows. As if reading her thoughts Akana shook her head. "Don't despair." Her golden eyes dimmed and returned to their usual dark gold pigment. "There isn't much you could have done at this point . . ."

_At this point. _Nataki swallowed the lump in her throat. _Because I have no idea __**what**__ to do, or __**how**__ to do it._

Suddenly, at the realization that a bunch of strangers had witnessed and been affected by the magical mishap, panic spread across her face. Worse even was the fact that Haine had been, too. Then, the fact that Akana would probably just make all of them forget everything of her own accord came to mind. As if sensing this, she merely nodded reassuringly.

"I will bury _their_ memories." She stated as-a-matter-of-factly. However, turning her head in the direction of Haine, she tilted her head curiously and added, ". . . but I feel _you_ should be the one to decide whether or not Suzude-san retains this memory."

_Wait . . . what?_

"She is _your_ friend, Nataki-san. Her memories will affect _your_ relationship with her, not _mine_." Placing a reassuring hand on her uninjured shoulder Akana proceeded, "Ultimately, you and I are both tied to the realm of magic, and are obligated to weigh the pros and cons of uninvolved parties being cognizant of it. To leave you out of the decision making process at this point makes little sense. So this time, instead of making the decision regarding Suzude-san's memories, I want you to decide if she remembers or not."

While everything Akana said made perfect sense to her, the weight of her words was a bit crippling, to say the least. In all honesty, there was only _one_ option – Akana knew that, and Nataki _knew_ it, too – but her mind questioned whether or not it was truly ethical to bury someone's memories . . . twice.

_And yet . . ._

Gazing over at her friend empathetically, Nataki sighed deeply. Even though tampering with someone's memories didn't seem right, she knew that ordinary people – those not directly involved in the world of the occult – should never retain memories of supernatural phenomena. And while she couldn't stop herself from wondering if there were any repercussions from "burying memories," she just hoped that the benefits outweighed the costs in the end.

_Sorry, Haine-chan._

The words echoed through her as she gestured for Akana to include Haine in the 'memory modifications' she was about to perform. With a brief nod, she held her staff high above her head. Words fell from her lips, and Nataki felt that they sounded both familiar and unfamiliar. While she couldn't decipher the meaning of the words, she felt wistful listening to them, but she reasoned that perhaps it wasn't the words in so much as their effect that made her feel sadness. Light began to pour from the the top of Akana's staff and rain down upon the entire library, light rays flickering down from above in almost heavenly grace, leaving the library with a sense of emptiness despite the people still inside. Perhaps because their faces reflected a blissful ignorance of all that had transpired.

Holding out her hand, Akana pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Time for us to go."

"Go?" Nataki asked while rushing over to Haine, who was still unconscious. "What about Haine-chan?"

"She is fine, rest assured." Akana replied gently. "As are the rest of the people here. I combined a healing enchantment with my magic used to bury their memories of the incident."

"What did you bury the memory with?" Nataki wondered suddenly. "And how does it explain all of this mess?"

"I replaced the memories of the Whiptail Crows with an unprecedented gale that generated a lot of force. The windows were all open, ergo creating the mess they see before them."

Nataki stood speechless, mouth agape in shock at how seamlessly Akana was able to generate false, but still plausible events in such an effective way. _Then again, I'm sure she's done this many times before, so it probably is fairly easy for her to do._

"Okay. Well, shouldn't we stay to help clean up?"

Akana shook her head. "I omitted our presence from their memories too as a . . . precautionary measure, since there were quite a few people who witnessed the whole thing."

Nataki grimaced slightly, causing Akana to add, "Fortunately, everything is fine. I think the best thing we can do at this point is slip away without attracting any attention."

She outstretched her hand in a kindly manner and smiled. "Well then, shall we?"

* * *

**A/N: **Hello to anyone still following this story, and Happy New Year~!

First of all, I am so very sorry to have been so inactive on here. Life has gotten very busy and I have struggled with a lack of creative motivation for quite some time now, but I am trying to give myself the kick in the butt I need to keep writing and doing what makes me happy. I sincerely hope you look forward to more frequent updates from this point forward! :)

As far as the chapter goes . . . tell me what you think! I always look forward to hearing your thoughts! :D


	46. Lingering Thoughts

**~Nataki~**

A couple weeks had passed since the incident at the library, but the afterthoughts Nataki had over the entire thing had continued to linger. Flashbacks of the Whiptail Crows came without warning in vivid horror, and she could still remember the sensation of their talons piercing her skin, despite the fact that the injury had healed practically hours after the unforeseen event (courtesy of Akana, whose magic seemed instilled with curative properties). The shrill sound of the birds still rang in Nataki's ears and sent shivers down her spine.

But even _more_ troublesome than her recollections of the monsters was her sense of _guilt_ toward Haine, who had her memories altered for a second time. The ethical argument inside of her had been overruled out of the sheer necessity to ensure that the supernatural nature of her and Akana's existence, and even _more_ importantly the world of the occult, had not been jeopardized. Regardless, Nataki had become quite morose over the whole thing to say the least, and had only been able to come to terms with her decision by vowing that such a situation would never happen again.

Which was much easier _said_ than _done_.

The second term had started, and it was impossible for Nataki to completely avoid Haine, who was in her class and had opted to sit immediately behind her once again. Still, Nataki had made a silent promise the day of the attack to slowly, but surely wean herself off socializing with Haine outside of school. It pained her to to do so, especially when she considered the fact that she knew Haine would eventually call her out on it. Furthermore, the fact that Yugi, although inevitably tied to a supernatural destiny of his own, did not experience this shared 'necessity for isolationism,' made her begin to question if she was doing the right thing. One day during lunch, Nataki actually managed to get him alone – she had a feeling he would understand her dilemma more than anyone else.

She had been correct in her assumption. Yugi listened to her concerns with revered patience and compassion, and when it was his time to speak he seemed extremely thoughtful. The King of Games knew that her decision to gradually pull away from Haine must have been extremely difficult, and he truly did sympathize with her plight.

After what had seemed like a long while he had finally responded. "I think your decision is one of true altruism, Nataki-san. Your situation makes it much harder to establish relationships with those outside of the world of magic." Violet eyes searching her face for understanding he continued, "I'm just a regular person who happened to come in contact with a mystical item." Cradling the Millennium Puzzle in his hands and quickly releasing it Yugi began anew. "However, you were literally _born_ into a magical destiny!" Lowering his voice drastically as to ensure no one overheard – there _were_ other students around, of course – he added, "Your existence is truly special. Shizukami-san said you two are part _divinity_!"

Although Nataki had agreed with everything he had said, the King of Games could tell she was still feeling torn about her decision. With a reassuring smile he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I guess what I'm getting at is that it totally makes sense that you and Shizukami-san would need to be much more cautious, lest your identities be discovered by people other than Kaiba-kun and myself, or innocent people unintentionally wind up in the middle of any magical mishaps."

_If only he knew how right he was. S_he thought to herself.

Nataki had yet to tell him or Kaiba about the event, as per Akana's recommendation. With a resolute nod, she sighed deeply. "You're right, Yugi-kun." Nataki had replied, despite the fact that his words had made her feel more separated from Haine now more than ever. "Thank you for telling me what I needed to hear."

* * *

After that conversation with Yugi, Nataki had spent the next few days shutting herself off from the outside world (except for Akana, who would physically stop by to check on her and could not be turned away) to truly consider the changes she needed to undergo in order for things in her life . . . her new life, she supposed, to work out.

_First and foremost, I need to start focusing on learning more about myself._ She had reasoned. Akana had dropped a bomb of knowledge onto her, but Nataki had truthfully not postulated _how_, exactly, that information would completely shape and re-define most, if not all aspects of her life.

"I need to learn about who I _was_ to better understand who I _am_." She had told Akana, who merely sat beside her and calmly sipped at the white peach tea Nataki had brewed for her. "I think I need to know that before I can accept that I have magic." Pausing briefly she added, "Before I can accept that the magic is part of _me_."

"Fair enough." Akana had replied. "However, you needn't learn _everything_. Just the crucial details."

When Nataki had shot her an unconvinced look Akana proceeded with, "Truthfully Nataki-san, the only lifetime you need to remember is your first. The rest pale in comparison."

Clenching her own cup of tea, Nataki had sighed heavily. "If that's true, then I need to you to tell me about her."

Raising an eyebrow curiously, Akana inquired "_Her_?" Setting down her cup onto a saucer she pursed her lips thoughtfully and then smiled. "You mean the existential _you_."

"Yes." Staring straight into Akana's golden eyes, a flicker of determination burning in her own she dared to say the name she had heard Akana speak of with a hint of nostalgia. "Tell me about _Necomi_."

Although the conversation had been brief, the feelings that had been stirred inside her in response had been profound. Akana had spoke of a girl who seemed almost an antithesis to Nataki – an audacious, dynamic, and thoroughly cunning young lady who was 'the smoothest of talkers,' the 'ultimate survivalist,' and more than anything, was a force one would be foolish to reckon with. And despite the connotations Nataki had with each adjective Akana used to describe Necomi, she spoke of the girl with obvious endearment.

"Seems that I'm _nothing_ like her . . ." Nataki had thought aloud, at which Akana shook her head.

"Well, confidence comes with age and experience." Smiling gently she continued, "But the other qualities . . . you're right. They aren't _you_, Nataki-san, but there's nothing wrong with that." Standing up from her seat on the couch, Akana walked over toward a small vase filled with decorative purple and pink flowers. "I hardly resemble myself from the first lifetime."

"Really?" Nataki had inquired in disbelief. "How come?"

All the sudden the atmosphere became slightly wistful, and she wondered if she shouldn't have asked Akana such a thing. But then she began to speak.

"I suppose when your mind cannot forget what the eyes have seen and the ears have heard, the way you think changes, as well." Shooting her a somewhat sad smile Akana added, "Life has taught me many things, good and bad, and continues to re-shape me each time. While I wish I could say that who I have become leans more toward the positive, I hardly think it's possible when you've seen the rise and fall of mankind as many times as I have and remember it all with vivid clarity as I do."

Standing up from her seat on the couch, Nataki felt a sudden compulsion to wrap her arms around her. Akana received the embrace with a shred of surprise on her face.

"I'm sorry." Was all Nataki could offer, although she wasn't quite sure why she had apologized. Deep inside, however, she felt she needed to, and when Akana returned the hug, Nataki was glad she had.

"What was your name during the first lifetime?"

Releasing Nataki from her arms she sighed happily and said it as if relieving herself of some unforeseen weight. "Acolshi."

"Acolshi . . ." She repeated softly. With a smile she added. "Can you tell me about her?" When Akana raised an eyebrow slightly she rephrased. "Ah, I mean, about the ''everlasting you,' or whatever you called it."

With a slight chuckle Akana nodded. "I don't see why not."

* * *

**~Akana~**

After that discussion, Akana had watched day by day as Nataki tried to channel her inner 'existential self.' She had started to refer to herself as Necomi every so often, but said it in a soft whisper. Additionally, Nataki had began focusing on increasing her awareness of the magic residing within her. In an almost meditative state Akana had taught her, she could actually attain the concentration she needed to detect hairline fractures of magic coursing through her body. It was both frightening and alluring, an impossible combination until one sensation ultimately overpowered the other. However, little progress had been made actually drawing it out from deep within her body, but Akana had reminded her to have patience.

"It's going to take some time." She had said softly.

"But how _much_ time?" Nataki asked somewhat transfixed on the possibility of another monster sighting. "I can't be a sitting duck, Akana-san. I need to be able to fight, like you."

"And in time you will." She echoed as reassuringly as she could. She hoped that Nataki couldn't sense that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to conceal her own anxiety over the matter. Time was of the essence, and while she was relieved to see that Nataki was aware of that and finally on-board with the magic, she had a begun to worry if it was too little too late.

Which was strange, because she had never experienced this level of unrest before.

_The only anomalies that exist during this lifetime are Mutou-san and Kaiba._ She had thought to herself. _Although . . ._

She realized that there was also an uncharacteristically strong presence lingering around her as of late. Had this ba been responsible for the incident at the library? She highly doubted it, but it's sudden surge in energy was strange, nonetheless.

* * *

Sometime following her first frame of existence, Akana had detected the presence of a lone ba. She knew not why it lingered, but supposed it may have belonged to a person who, by some unfortunate circumstance, had been unable to reach the afterlife. It was a soul that was quite weak, so she assumed it had resolved itself to following her around solely because it was attracted to the energy she gave off.

However, it soon became apparent to her that the ba sought more than just to bask in her mystical glow – it began to _communicate_ with her in small, subtle ways, and seemed to seek her out each lifetime. It didn't take long for Akana to realize that the ba was from someone who had lived during her first time frame, and an unlikely, though not entirely improbable mutualistic form of communication had been born. Akana generally led a lonely existence each cycle of rebirth, spending most of her days watching Nataki from afar, ensuring her safety and security until she could formally introduce herself and start to engage the wheel of fate to start spinning.

Generally, the ba would talk of trivial things, but occasionally there were instances of more intellectual conversation regarding magic, though she was never foolish enough to reveal anything about herself or Nataki. Akana kept a guarded tongue against anything that would jeopardize their safety, but did not hesitate to speak of things that only someone from her lifetime, the very first one, could share. This special, yet bizarre occurrence had remained intact throughout each cycle of rebirth, but for some reason as of late the spirit had become a disconcerting presence. It was not nearly as weak as it had been when she first came in contact with it. Furthermore, the usually social ba had become solitary and quiet. This had made Akana a bit wary, but she reminded herself of its situation.

_It's just a ba without a vessel, a soul without a purpose. _

So as much as she had her reservations, she still couldn't help but pity it.

* * *

**~Kaiba~**

Meanwhile, Nataki hadn't been the only one learning more about herself and Akana. Ever since he had met with Isis at the museum, Kaiba had been 'a man on a mission,' making as many efforts as possible to find out more about the two demi-goddesses, especially since Akana seemed relatively stubborn in her withholding of such information – more specifically, how said information pertained to the ka of the Egyptian Gods. Unfortunately, he had found very little regarding that point of interest.

While Akana had briefly touched upon the fact that she and Nataki harbored those legendary beasts within them, she had told him – in no uncertain terms – that there currently was no need to know the protocol for summoning those God Monsters. Adding salt to the wound, Isis had basically written Kaiba off from being the possessor of such a powerful force.

_And yet she entrusted **me** with Obelisk the Tormentor when it suited **her** needs. _He had scoffed, recalling how Isis had given him the mighty god card as a means of attracting the Ghouls, and more importantly their leader (her brother) to Domino City in a twisted rescue mission that had endangered countless lives.

While Kaiba didn't care that much for Yugi or any members of his 'dweeb patrol,' he wasn't without his humanity, and had in fact put his own life on the line to save a handful of his rival's companions, namely Anzu and Jounouchi, who had been brainwashed by Marik and pinned against Yugi.

_That Egyptian God obeyed me . . . had deemed me worthy of using it during my Battle City tournament, and yet Shizukami has the **gall** to claim that the ka of Obelisk the Tormentor would reject me? _His mind had echoed until he was seething. _I'll show her, Isis, Yugi, the whole lot of them that I'm the only one truly worthy of controlling such a power, and then . . ._

* * *

Meanwhile, all the way in Egypt, Isis and her brothers Rishid and Marik had been deeply involved in their quest to discover more about the two girls, whose destinies overlapped with those of Kaiba and Yugi. After hearing nothing from Isis in over two weeks, the CEO had practically written the three of them off as unreliable sources and had delved deeper into his own research. So he was a little more than surprised when the phone rang almost three weeks later and Isis's voice was on the other end.

"You weren't expecting me to call?" She inquired.

"Not really." Kaiba had remarked with a rather plain tone. "I tend not to expect much out of people and rely on myself. You know that."

"Yes, I have become painfully aware of your loner tendencies." Isis sighed. "And I would advise you to rethink that."

At this point Kaiba was ready to hang up the phone. "I didn't take your call to hear you preach about friendship the other garbage Yugi and the nerd herd spew all the time. If you don't have anything meaningful to say . . ."

"Why, surely you don't think I would call _you_ of all people, with no other intention than to patronize?" She mused.

Smirking against the phone the CEO replied, "It would be quite pointless. Much like this conversation we're having." Glancing over at Nataki he sighed and told Isis to hold for moment. He had been conducting his research undetected up until this point and didn't want to risk Nataki overhearing anything Isis might discuss with him. Luckily, Mokuba had already mentioned wanting to 'steal' Nataki for a few hours during the week to help him test out his Capsule Monsters project – it was a perfect excuse to get her out of the office for a bit.

Once Nataki had closed the door behind her, the CEO retrieved the phone and began anew. "So, what did you find out, Isis?"

"Not too much, I'm afraid." She stated rather flatly. "But enough to pique your interest."

_Oh, really?_ He had thought to himself somewhat skeptically before responding with a lackluster "Humor me."

"Very well."

Kaiba wasn't sure what he had been expecting to hear, but it certainly hadn't been anything even remotely close to what Isis told him. Amidst their scouring of the ancient ruins and the like, Isis and her brothers had discovered further evidence of the links between the girls, the nameless pharaoh, and his greatest rival – the high priest. Engravings that had hinted at possible relationship dynamics between each goddess and her respective 'master' were, in Isis's mind, a solid start, but these pieces of evidence only seemed to provoke further inquiry on her part. Kaiba, on the other hand, was interested in very little of what she said except for the fragments that would ultimately benefit himself. The notion of being Nataki's 'master' was intriguing, especially if it meant he could use this title as a leverage to gain what he truly wanted and, in his mind, deserved – the power of the Egyptian God inside her.

"Just to clarify," The CEO interrupted. "The term 'master' does imply a degree of sovereignty?"

He could hear Isis become quiet on the other end of the conversation, as if she was thinking carefully about how to respond. She knew very well how power-hungry Kaiba was and she feared that, while not a carbon copy of his past self, the CEO could easily become tyrannical over Nataki, especially considering how compliant she was. And then there was the fact that he was already in an authoritative position over her as her employer . . .

"I suppose." She finally offered. "However, the term is dated and inapplicable to modern day standards, at least in most parts of the world." Taking a breath she proceeded with, "And if it were to apply at all, I would think only in the sense of managing the Egyptian Gods if they become too unruly – _not_ the girls themselves. They should be free to carry out their own destinies uninhibited."

"Right." Kaiba had agreed while his mind had already began scheming how to utilize his position of power to attain what he sought. Not wanting to arise suspicion in Isis, however he added, "I appreciate your work. Call me with anything else you find out." before hanging up the phone.

* * *

**~Yugi~**

Ever since that day Nataki had spoke with him, Yugi had felt conflicted about what his own role in her destiny entailed. He supposed that it was more so the spirit inside the puzzle who was involved than himself, but part of him truly wanted to believe he could do _something_ to help her and Akana.

_But what can **I** possibly do?_ He had thought to himself quite often. _I don't even know what exactly I'm supposed to be doing to help the pharaoh._

Needless to say, the King of Games had become somewhat of an insomniac. Unable to stop thinking about the magnitude of the girls' existence, coupled with the fact that Kaiba – the person he was supposed to be working with throughout this whole demi-goddess destiny thing – was now royally pissed off at him. Still, Yugi more than understand where Isis was coming from with her decision to withhold Kaiba's possession of Obelisk the Tormentor.

"She's worried about what Kaiba-kun would do with that kind of power." He had thought aloud while laying in bed, fanning the three Egyptian God cards in front of him. "So I don't blame her for wanting me to hold onto them. But I don't know how to repair this wedge it has created between Kaiba-kun and me." Peering over to the corner of his bed he asked, "What do you think, other me?"

The puzzle hiding in his nightstand glowed faintly until the pharaoh emerged from inside of it. Seating himself on the end of the bed he gazed at Yugi with uncertain scarlet eyes. "I'm not sure, partner." Shifting his attention to the cards Yami continued, "But Kaiba's cooperation is essential, so we must think of some way around this."

"I mean, maybe we could try trusting him?" Yugi wondered. "At a probationary level."

Yami seemed unconvinced, but didn't dismiss the possibility outright – he knew Yugi was more lenient and forgiving toward Kaiba than pretty much anyone else – rather, he offered an alternative. "Why don't we ask Akana about the Egyptian God Monsters first?" Crossing his arms in front of his chest he proceeded, "She seemed to suggest it was unnecessary information at this point, but if Isis is entrusting us with all three gods, I feel we are deemed responsible enough to hear the protocol."

"You think?" Yugi asked suddenly. "She seemed pretty adamant about not telling us too much about it."

"I believe her hesitation is likely because of the accidental almost force-summon at the museum, and even more so because of her distrust of Kaiba."

Yugi nodded. "That makes sense. But I still don't think she will tell us unless a situation presents itself that warrants that information."

Yami became quiet for a moment as if remembering something important. Little did Yugi know that he was, indeed, doing just that. Specifically, he recalled that night when Nataki had come to him with Akana seeking help for her friend, Haine. Akana had seemed to speak with him in a familiar, almost nostalgic manner, and with a degree of trust he had yet to see her demonstrate with anyone other than Nataki. "Not _us_, perhaps. But _me_." He finally stated in a resolute tone. Suddenly, a small glimmer of light emanated from the puzzle, and before Yugi could react to his assertion, the pharaoh disappeared from his sight.

* * *

**A/N**: Hello readers! :) I hope the structure of this chapter wasn't too confusing - basically, this chapter was meant to show that time has passed since the incident at the library (see the previous chapter) while filling in some important details about what happened during that time skipped over for the sake of brevity - don't want to make this fic too long! xD

It was a unique chapter in that you see a little bit from all four main protagonists' perspectives.

Anyway, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! ^_^


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